On Friday the Education Department announced they will extend the suspension of federal student loan payments through Jan. 31, 2022. This is the fourth time the agency has paused student loan payments for borrowers since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. The department says it will be the final extension offered to borrowers, but with the rapid spread of the Delta variant it is hard to tell how long these pauses will be necessary. Hopefully this is another step in the direction of full forgiveness of all student loan debt.