Education Dept. changes student debt relief guidance, now excludes millions: Friday, Sept. 30.

 Guidance on who qualifies for Biden's student loan forgiveness program changed weeks before the application is set to open and will affect eligibility for millions of student loan borrowers. Borrowers who had Perkins loans or Federal Family Education Loans are at the center of the most recent change, NPR reported. Federal Family Education Loans, known as FFEL loans, were issued and managed by private banks but were backed by the federal government.The program ended in 2010, but over 4 million borrowers still have FFEL loans, NPR reported. Before Thursday, the Department of Education told borrowers they could consolidate the loans into federal Direct Loans to qualify under the debt relief program. "As of Sept. 29, 2022, borrowers with federal student loans not held by ED cannot obtain one-time debt relief by consolidating those loans into Direct Loans," the website says. Borrowers who applied to consolidate their FFEL and Perkins Loans into Direct Loans prior to Thursday are still eligible for the one-time debt relief through the Direct Loan program, according to the website.It is unclear why the department changed its guidance on FFEL loans.READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/education-dept-changes-student-debt-relief-guidance/507-8fc37d55-cb70-4fe7-844a-db7a716e2457Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview Thursday with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, the panel's chairman said.“It’s a work in progress,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told reporters after the more than four-hour interview ended. “At this point, we’re glad she came.”READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/virginia-thomas-jan-6-hearing/507-4eb0d89f-37d7-4135-a065-120aa952961aWatch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!