The Biden administration [previously] extended the moratorium in September, giving borrowers until Jan. 31 before they would have to resume making payments. The Education Department said at the time that it felt that a "definitive end date" would reduce the risk of delinquency and defaults once payments restart.
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The White House maintained for months that Biden would not extend the pause beyond the Jan. 31 deadline, warning borrowers that they should be prepared to resume payments in February even as Covid case numbers increased and as inflation concerns gripped the country.
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Debt relief advocates and some Democratic lawmakers had pressured Biden to extend the moratorium, especially after Sen. Joe Manchin said he would not vote for Biden's Build Back Better Act, throwing its prospects into doubt. Some Democrats have also argued that it would be a poor political decision for Biden to restart student loan payments ahead of a difficult midterm elections year.