Florida college cancels $1.2 million in student debt

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A central Florida college is eliminating $1.2 million in student debt to alleviate financial hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Almost 1,300 students at Polk State College in Winter Haven received the good news just in time for the holidays.

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Students enrolled at the college between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, are eligible for the debt cancellation. In addition, the debts of students who were sent to collections during that period are also being taken care of by the school.

“Polk State College recognizes that student debt is a barrier to advancement and has added to student and family burdens during the pandemic,” Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti said in a news release.

The college covered the debts with money received through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.