• The Department of Education has agreed to a settlement to end the Biden-era SAVE student loan repayment plan.
• Over seven million borrowers currently on the SAVE plan will need to select a new repayment program if the court approves the settlement.
• Ohio has about 1.7 million student loan borrowers and over $60 billion in debt. The average student loan debt in the state is approximately $35,072.

Student loan borrowers under the Biden-era student loan repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), may soon have to select a new repayment plan after the U.S. Department of Education agreed to a measure to permanently end the program.

A proposed joint settlement agreement announced Tuesday between the DOE and the State of Missouri seeks to end what officials call the “illegal” SAVE program, impacting more than seven million SAVE borrowers who would have to enroll in another program. The settlement must be approved by the court before it can be implemented.

Ohio borrowers carry some of the nation’s highest student loan debt. Here’s how the proposed change could affect them.

What is the SAVE plan?

Originally known as REPAYE, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan was created to deliver the lowest monthly payments among income-driven repayment programs. Under the Biden administration, it became the most affordable option for borrowers.

According to USA TODAY, the SAVE plan was part of Biden’s push to deliver nearly $200 billion in student loan relief to more than 5 million Americans. It wiped out $5.5 billion in debt for nearly half a million borrowers and cut many monthly payments down to $0.

But officials in President Donald Trump’s administration claim the Biden plan was illegal.

Why does the Department of Education want to end the SAVE plan?

The DOE says the SAVE plan aimed to provide mass forgiveness without congressional approval, costing taxpayers $342 billion over 10 years. In a press release, the Department said the administration promised unrealistically low payments and quick forgiveness without legal authority.

Ohio State’s longtime star guard delivered another signature performance in his team’s uphill climb against No. 13 Illinois on Tuesday. Thornton racked up 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting, his second 30-point performance of the season. But he was still just a man. The Fighting Illini had a flight of well-coordinated, sharp-shooting soldiers.

Illinois (8-2, 1-0 Big Ten) led the final 16 minutes of its 88-80 win over Ohio State (8-2, 1-1), keeping the Buckeyes at arm’s length most of the way despite only twice leading by double-digits.

Four Illini reached double-figures. Freshman guard Keaton Wagler paced the squad with 23 points, trailed closely by fellow guard Andrej Stojakovic (17 points) and forward David Mirkovic (22 points). Center Zvonimir Ivisic added 13 points.

Devin Royal, Christoph Tilly and John Mobley Jr. all hit double figures for Ohio State to join Thornton, but did so at the cost of a combined 12-of-36 shooting (33.3%) and 2-of-16 from 3 (12.5%). Tilly fouled out of the game in the final minute.

First Half

Bruce Thornton and Christoph Tilly worked to keep Ohio State afloat in the early stretches.

Thornton drained a trio of triples, stepping into two in transition, including a contested look at least seven feet beyond the arc. Tilly opened the game’s scoring with an offensive rebound he stuck back, then showcased a nice arsenal of dribble moves and spins to attack the basket, drawing a foul once and making a layup another time.

But the Illinois shooters were orange hot. The Illini drained four consecutive 3-point attempts, three from Mirkovic and one from Ivisic, to charge ahead 24-15. Thornton answered with a corner 3 off an inbounds pass and a steal for a coast-to-coast layup, then the Illini strung together four points to push their lead back to eight.

Thornton remained undeterred. He rose above a strong contest for a baseline jumper, pump-faked an Illinois defender to make him fly by to drain another 3-pointer. Then he flew past a defender for a transition layup and canned another triple from the left wing to give Ohio State its first lead in more than 11 minutes at 34-33.

Chants of “Bruce” rang about the Schottenstein Center as the crowd got to its loudest volume of the night, rising to get their star senior a standing ovation. Thornton scored 24 points in the first half and started 9-of-9 shooting, including a 6-of-6 mark from distance.

The momentum didn’t maintain. Illinois launched an 11-0 run capped by a circus 3-pointer from Wagler and carried a 48-42 lead into halftime, though Devin Royal beat the buzzer to get the deficit back to six for Ohio State.

Second Half

Thornton finally got a bit of sustained scoring support to start the second half. Brandon Noel made a 3-pointer, and John Mobley Jr. connected on two floaters in the lane before freshman forward Amare Bynum got on the board with a nice drive and finish. A gorgeous double-clutch layup by Thornton tied the ballgame at 53. 

The Buckeyes went 3:17 without changing the number in their score column as Illinois pushed back ahead 61-56. Tilly picked up his fourth foul during the stretch, impacting Ohio State’s lineup, in a game laden with foul calls. A Wagler 3-pointer and two Ivisic free throws extended the Illini edge to 66-58.

Fouls piled up on both sides. Exchanges of free throws kept the margin relatively the same as both teams were in the double bonus midway through the period. Illinois proved far more efficient at that game, however. A spin into a floater by Stojakovic pushed the Illinois lead back to three scores again with under six minutes to play.

It bounced back and forth between a two- and three-score lead several more times for the Illini, each reextension feeling like a tiny dagger plunged into the Buckeyes’ collective heart. 

Ohio State went to a full-court press in the final two minutes and chipped the lead back down to a single score on a layup by Devin Royal, which made it 79-76 with less than 75 seconds remaining. But a friendly bounce – for Illinois, that is – on a 3-pointer by Ivisic stuck one final dagger in at 82-76 with 45 seconds to play.

What’s Next?

Ohio State plays the first of back-to-back neutral-site games with power-conference opponents, taking on West Virginia in Cleveland on Saturday. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.

Game Notes

• The Buckeyes held a “Teddy Bear Toss” at halftime, with fans throwing stuffed animals onto the court to donate to children through the Ronald McDonald House.
• Illinois shot 7-of-14 (50%) from 3 in the first half.
• The contest featured 48 total personal fouls called between the two teams.
• Ohio State is now 77-110 all-time against Illinois.