HAGERSTOWN, Md. (DC News Now) — After a three-year pause due to the pandemic, student loan payments are back and some students are worried about how they can afford the extra expense.

“We have been three years now without student loan payments and the economy hasn’t crashed,” graduate Marie Johnson said. “Nothing has drastically gotten worse as a result of not paying student loan debt, but yet everything around us is still increasing because of inflation so it’s pretty selfish.”

Marie Johnson is a college graduate from Norfolk State University and is currently enrolled for her doctorate. Facing a $120,000 student loan makes her worried about how she will make ends meet.

“As much student loan debt I do have, I’m not going to be able to repay it,” Johnson said. “They’re asking for pretty much my car note, half of my rent and that’s a lot of money.”

Since the Supreme Court rejected President Biden’s loan forgiveness plan, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says they’re working on a new plan to help people.

“We’ve been engaged in the process already of selecting negotiators, and we anticipate doing as much as we can around student debt relief as we’re able to,” Cardona said.

Johnson says although she doesn’t have a plan yet on how she’ll tackle her student loans, she’s focused on getting her doctorate and hopes it will all work out.

“I don’t need to stress over it because it’s not a happy thought, paying back student loan debt after so many years of college, it’s not fun,” Johnson explained.