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Livingstone College eliminates $2.8 million in student debt

University officials said they're making the decision to eliminate a barrier to students staying in school.

SALISBURY, N.C. — Livingstone College in Salisbury announced Friday that it is eliminating $2.8 million worth of student debt

School officials said the decision was made so students can register this fall without owing any money on their accounts. 

"We are eliminating a barrier to student persistence. We are wiping out the balances for our students who are coming to campus, who have been to campus last semester," Livingstone Senior Vice President Dr. Anthony J. Davis said. "We're infusing $2.8 million to wipe out all student debt so students can register this fall with a zero balance. We recognize that access to college and affordability must work in tandem."

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Earlier this summer, a group of North Carolina lawmakers, led by Mecklenburg County Rep. Rachel Hunt, proposed a student loan "bill of rights" to crack down on deceptive or abusive practices by the companies that service loans.

In total, 1.3 million North Carolinians owe a total of $48 billion in student loan debt. Hunt said the average debt amount in North Carolina is $36,200.

RELATED: Yes, Biden previously pledged to forgive $10,000 of federal student loan debt

RELATED: What you need to know about student loan forgiveness now

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