WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13120) on Nov. 13, 2025, by social policy specialist Alexandra Hegji. Here are excerpts: * * * Direct Loan Program Student Loans: Loan Discharge and Forgiveness Outstanding Direct Loan program debt currently totals about $1.5 trillion, which is owed by over 40 million borrowers. When borrowing a loan, a borrower assumes a contractual obligation to repay the debt over a period  more PR