Within a week of launching the beta platform for applying for student loan forgiveness, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit yesterday granted a temporary pause on President Biden's proposed debt relief program. 

The stay comes in response to an appeal filed by six Republican-led states after a district judge dismissed their case on Thursday for lack of standing. 

The plaintiff states are Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and South Carolina.

The government has until Monday to submit its response to these states' appeal, while the states have until Tuesday to offer their responses. 

The debt cancellation is on hold until the court can determine its final decision. However, Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, encouraged borrowers to continue applying through studentaid.gov.

According to the New York Times, nearly 22 million people - more than half of all those expected to be eligible - have applied for loan cancellation since the system opened late last week.

During Biden's speech yesterday at Delaware State University, he confessed that the states' demand for the debt cancellation plan is one of his government plan's most significant legal challenges. The Department of Education has estimated that the program will cost $379 billion over its 30-plus-year life.

Stay tuned to AL DIA for updates on this story.