AOC had up to $50K in student loans while advocating for debt cancellation.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Student Loan Debt

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a ⁤prominent advocate for ​student loan forgiveness on Capitol Hill, has disclosed that she owes the Department of ⁤Education up to $50,000 in student loans, according to recent financial filings reviewed by the ​Washington Examiner.

The filing revealed that as of 2022, Ocasio-Cortez owed the department between $15,000 and $50,000 for her student loans. Interestingly, in the ⁤same year, she spearheaded the call for the Biden administration to cancel thousands of dollars in loans for each student.

Championing Student Loan Forgiveness

In May 2022, ‌Ocasio-Cortez took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to express her support for ​student loan debt cancellation. Responding to a Marist ⁢poll that indicated President Joe Biden’s low approval rating among young adults, ⁢she posted, “Now ⁤would be a great time ‍to cancel student loan debt, take significant climate action,⁤ and pass voting rights.”

It is worth noting that Ocasio-Cortez’s student loan debt⁤ was already public knowledge, as her 2021 financial‍ disclosure revealed ​her liability of up to $50,000.

Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

In August 2022, President Biden unveiled his student‍ loan forgiveness plan, which aimed to ⁢forgive up to‌ $20,000 of​ student loan debt for borrowers earning under $125,000 ‌individually⁣ or $250,000 for married couples. However, members of Congress, including Ocasio-Cortez,‌ earn ⁣an annual salary of $174,000. While she‌ celebrated the plan, she advocated for more forgiveness for​ individuals burdened with higher amounts of debt.

“It was YOUR pushing, ‌YOUR ​pressure, YOUR organizing that ​got them to this point,” Ocasio-Cortez expressed on Instagram. “I am very grateful for this watershed moment of a first step — ‍it ⁢is⁣ so encouraging, ⁢thrilling, and has‌ already changed SO ‍many‍ people’s lives. ​But I am also thinking about how this still leaves a question mark for those ⁤in the highest amounts of debt, who need the most amount of help. So let’s celebrate and keep going.”

Other Members of the “Squad” with Student Loan Debt

Another member of ⁣the “Squad,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib ⁣(D-MI), also carries a significant ⁢amount of student loan debt. Tlaib ⁢owes over $100,000 to the Department of Education for her ⁢law degree. Last year, she advocated for the ‍Biden administration ‌to forgive at least ‌$50,000‍ in student loan debt for individual borrowers.

“I⁢ will continue to push for education debt cancellation of $50K or more, and I know many people out on the streets will do the same,” ‍Tlaib shared ⁣on X last‌ August. “This is not the end, this ⁢is just the beginning when it⁢ comes to bringing⁢ opportunity and equity to all.”

Click here ⁣ to read ⁣more from the⁣ Washington Examiner.