"My point is: I understand the impact of debt, and it can be debilitating," Biden said at the town hall. "I am prepared to write off the $10,000 debt but not $50 [thousand], because I don't think I have the authority to do it."
https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-wont-cancel-student-debt-heres-why-go-big-economy-2021-2
That's from after he took office. He said he had the authority to do 10k of relief.