Can Biden win back young voters with student debt action?

Maxwell Frost, the only Gen Z member of Congress, was front and center when Joe Biden announced last week that he was canceling $1.2bn of student loan debt for more than 150,000 Americans.

“President Biden knows that canceling student debt is an important issue for young people across our country,” said Frost, who has been a surrogate for Biden’s campaign. “The president’s actions on student debt are in stark contrast with Donald Trump, who spent his entire time in office sabotaging efforts to aid borrowers who are just trying to make ends meet.”

Frost’s comments underline how much Biden wants young voters to know that he hasn’t given up on fixing student debt, even after the supreme court struck down his cancellation plan last summer.

But like some of Biden’s other most progressive policies convincing young voters that he has a decent track record on the issues – not least the war in Gaza – that will drive them to the ballot box is proving challenging.

“[Biden] coming to the table to talk about student debt forgiveness is a huge win ,” said Antonio Arellano, NextGen’s vice-president of communications.

“In America, young voters right now are the largest eligible voting bloc in modern American history, surpassing baby boomers. And they’re being very clear about where they stand,” Arellano said. “So it would be in the best interest of the administration to listen to the young people that are simply demanding humanitarian priorities and protections for folks that are just in the crosshairs of this greater war.”

When contrasted against Trump, Biden’s student loan policies appear decidedly progressive. Biden’s federal student loan program would have seen 43 million borrowers receive some relief, including up to $20,000 off loans