Tuesday morning, protesters in favor of student loan debt relief gathered in front of the Supreme Court, demanding that the top judges support President Biden in two cases challenging his flagship student loan debt reduction scheme.

Biden’s relief program aims to cancel $10,000 of student debt for low- to middle-income borrowers and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. However, the program is on pause until the Supreme Court hears arguments in the cases that threaten it.

Before oral arguments, activists told Cheddar that Americans should not be required to carry so much college debt.

“I attended college as the first member of my family to do so. According to my FAFSA, our estimated family contribution was $0,” said Kristin McGuire, executive director of the advocacy organization Young Invincibles. “I borrowed $20,000 to pay for my undergraduate degree, and I owe more than $55,000 as of this moment.”

“Almost two decades later, my debt has doubled. And Americans should not be forced to endure such hardships,” McGuire concluded.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (District 7 of Massachusetts) also appeared outside the Supreme Court.

Pressley told the throng, “The people want and deserve student debt elimination.” Student loan forgiveness will improve and save lives.

Republican politicians, according to Pressley, are “disconnected from the misery of ordinary people who are saddled by this debt” and “chose opposition.”

Republicans, meanwhile, have deemed Biden’s proposal fiscally unwise.

“Our nation faces a staggering $31 trillion in debt, and we are nearing the debt ceiling, yet the Biden administration is still trying to cancel millions of dollars in student loans,” said Florida Senator Rick Scott. A blanket remission of student loans would only benefit a small percentage of the population at the expense of millions of hard-working Americans.

The decisions of the Supreme Court will not be announced until early summer, but 26 million people have already applied for the program, of which 16 million have been approved.