Student loan cancellation program could become Trump retribution tool, some advocates fear

Organizations that serve immigrants and transgender youth could be ejected from a federal program that cancels student loans for public workers under a Trump administration plan taking aim at groups that it says have an “illegal purpose.” The Education Department’s overhaul of the Public Student Loan Forgiveness program is alarming advocates who say it’s being reshaped as a tool of retribution for President Donald Trump. A draft of the new policy would allow the Education Department to expel employers from the cancellation program for “illegal activities.” It defines only a handful of examples, mostly dealing with immigration, terrorism and transgender youth.