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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Does the president have the power to extend the pause in student loan repayments?

By Allegra Taylor
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YES

In March, President Trump issued an executive order to suspend student loan payments and waive interest for all borrowers for at least 60 days due to the coronavirus. The coronavirus relief bill signed into law later in the same month set the relief to expire at the end of September.

After negotiations for another round of coronavirus relief legislation stalled in Congress, Trump on Aug. 8 directed the Education Department to extend the pause on monthly student loan payments until the end of the year.

Trump's pause on student loan debt relies on authority granted to the executive branch in the 1965 Higher Education Act, which gives the Department of Education the authority to "enforce, pay, compromise, waive or release" federally held student loan debts.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Department of Education: Suspension of student loan payments and interest
White House: Memorandum on continued student loan relief
Politico: Trump extends student loan relief through end of the year
Law Shelf: Role of executive orders in U.S. government
Harvard Law School: Analysis of student loan debt and authority granted by HEA
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.