On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments over the Biden administration’s plan to forgive student loan debt. The plan is currently facing legal challenges from a group of student loan companies.

The Biden administration argued that the Department of Education has the authority to forgive student loan debt without Congress. During the hearing, Deputy Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who was representing the Biden administration, argued that the Department of Education had the authority to cancel student loan debt under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Outside the Supreme Court, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, was among those protesting the legal challenge. “Student debt is crushing our students,” she said. “That is not fair!”

The Supreme Court’s conservative justices expressed skepticism about the Biden administration’s plan, citing a legal doctrine known as the “Chevron deference.” This doctrine states that courts should defer to a federal agency’s interpretation of a law. However, the conservative justices argued that the Department of Education’s interpretation of the Higher Education Act of 1965 was too broad.

The outcome of the Supreme Court’s decision will have a major impact on the future of student loan debt relief. In an op-ed for The New York Times, legal analyst David Driesen wrote: “How the court rules on this case could determine whether student loan borrowers receive the relief they need and deserve.”