A federal judge in Missouri dismissed a case brought by six conservative states that broadly charged that President Joe Biden had acted beyond its authority in its plan to cancel student loan debt for millions of borrowers.

The six states – Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina – failed to establish they had standing, with the judge saying Thursday that “the Court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.”

The states also had argued they would lose money from future tax revenues and via quasi-state agencies that service student loans.

However, the legal bickering between the president and these six states will continue. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the states “continue to believe that they do in fact have standing to raise their important legal challenges. As a result, the States will be appealing and seeking immediate relief from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.”

The federal government had responded to the suit by saying it could cancel debt under a 2003 law that allows it to pause or reduce borrowers’ payments on their loans during national emergencies. And, it said, the states failed to prove they would suffer damage because of its debt cancellation. 

It’s here:The application for Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is live

About 43 million people hold $1.6 trillion in federal student loans, and about 40 million are expected to qualify for Biden’s offer of one-time debt cancellation. About 20 million may see their balances erased entirely, but it’s still unclear how many people will apply for debt relief. Borrowers will have to file out a simple form – though some may need to further prove their income – and others may opt-out.