Secretary of Education Cardona Defends Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness

President Biden's move to let millions of Americans off the hook for student loan debt is certainly drawing some controversy -- but a key cabinet member says it's more positive than not.

U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona joined us on "TMZ Live" right on the heels of his boss's big announcement -- and broke down exactly what it means for all Americans.

As the Prez said -- and as Secretary Cardona reiterates here -- anyone who's taken out a federal loan and makes less than $125,000/year is eligible for at least $10,000 of forgiveness. If you've taken out a federal Pell Grant, you could receive an additional $10k discount.

Dr. Cardona tells us that equates to 43 million Americans who can get relief ... and about half of those can have their student debt wiped out entirely. That way they can get on with their lives and finally be out of a huge hole that might've otherwise hindered their economic goals.

There are surely many who are celebrating this news ... and, yes, there are countless people who have been stifled because of crippling, seemingly never-ending student loan debt.

However, critics are asking, "What about all those folks who've paid off their debt already, or who didn't take on any debt to begin with?" There's also the premise of students with high-paying degrees, who'll make a fortune later, being able to exploit this new system now.

Prez Biden addressed that Wednesday, and essentially it seems to boil down to, tough luck. His Secretary of Education elaborates a bit, though, telling us he understands the concern ... but that this move is going to help more people in need than those who really aren't.