President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order allowing automatic forgiveness of student loan debt for more than 25,000 permanently and totally disabled veterans.
The average debt estimated by the Department of Education was some $30,000 per veteran, Trump said.
Congress in 2008 passed a law entitling these vets to have their student loans discharged. But while more than 42,000 were deemed eligible as of last year, fewer than 9,000 had filed an application required by the Department of Education.
The change will make that wiping out of debt automatic unless, for tax purposes, an eligible veteran opts out of the program.