U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th, introduced legislation that would provide some individuals with a one-time credit for education costs, including the repayment of student loans.

The Pay Down, Upskill Act, which Lamb, whose district includes parts of Cranberry Township, introduced Friday, would direct the U.S. Department of Education to provide American adults with a one-time, $10,000 credit to pay down undergraduate student loans or for additional education or workforce training.

Lamb cited the economic impact of student loan debt, which the Federal Reserve estimated as a collective $1.57 trillion in the second quarter of 2021, as the impetus for much of the bill.

“Student loans are supposed to help people reach their career goals,” said Lamb. “Instead, it has burdened too many borrowers with unsustainable amounts of debt, while the cost of higher education is increasingly out of reach for too many.”

But student loans aren’t the only type of education expense for which recipients could use the credit, as it would also pay for education and training expenses at public and nonprofit private institutions of higher education and for some certificate programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

“This bill will help reduce student debt loads, while at the same time helping more Americans access the education that leads to good jobs,” Lamb said.

Credits would be available to American adults making less than $75,000 annually, based on the same eligibility criteria used for the previous COVID-19-related stimulus checks.