President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt relief. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Biden administration has taken another incremental step toward eliminating student debt. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education announced a plan that would enable the federal government to consider life challenges that prevent certain borrowers from making progress on their loans when assessing if that person is eligible for student loan forgiveness.

"The ideas we are outlining today will allow us to help struggling borrowers who are experiencing hardships in their lives, and they are part of President Biden's overall plan to give breathing room to as many student loan borrowers as possible," Undersecretary James Kvaal said.

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