MATC To Forgive $5.75 Million In Student Debt From Pandemic

MILWAUKEE, WI — Milwaukee Area Technical College will forgive $5.75 million in student debt that is owed to the college by students who attended the school during the pandemic, according to a news release.

MATC will use the money that was awarded to the institution by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to forgive the debt. The forgiveness does not apply to student loans, but will instead go toward forgiving outstanding balances owed directly to the school, the news release said.

Students that still owe a balance directly to the school from spring 2020 until spring 2021 will have those balances forgiven, the release said.

“We know that the pandemic caused disproportionate financial hardships for our students,” said Dr. Vicki J. Martin, MATC president.

“We believe that it is crucial to reach out to help those students overcome debt at this time when so many are struggling. Recipients are not required to enroll in MATC in the fall semester, but we hope this will provide the opportunity for many students to return to college this fall to continue studies which will lead them to jobs with family-sustaining wages. This initiative will have a positive financial impact not only on our students, but also on the communities we serve.”

Students that have already paid their balances won't have their student loans directly forgiven, but they will be eligible for up to $500 in relief from the school. $1 million has been set aside for those students, the news release said.

About 7,000 students will immediately benefit from the debt forgiveness with an average of $825 in balances per student being forgiven.

Students will be contacted in the coming weeks for more details.

Milwaukee Area Technical College is one of the biggest two-year colleges in the area. About 30,000 people attend the university each year at campuses in Oak Creek, Mequon, downtown Milwaukee and beyond.