WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday refused an emergency appeal to revive President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, but agreed to rule early next year on its legality.
The justices left in place an appeals court ruling that has put the program on hold.
The decision is a temporary setback for the administration but not a defeat for its plan to forgive student loans of up to $20,000 for as many as 20 million borrowers.
Anticipating such a move by the court, the administration last week extended its pause for borrowers to resume making monthly repayments, at least until June 30 of next year. By then, the high court will likely have handed down a ruling.
But Biden and his lawyers face an uphill battle against a conservative court that is skeptical of government agencies claiming a broad power that was not clearly approved by Congress.
