President Joe Biden extended the federal moratorium on federal student loan payments through Aug. 31, a measure put in place to help borrowers amid the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal officials had previously paused student loan payments through May 1, and Biden had been facing pressure from some congressional Democrats and advocacy groups to grant another extension. Student borrowers will continue to have the option to pause their monthly loan payments without accruing interest, as many have since March 2020 when the pandemic first hit.

“I know folks were hit hard by this pandemic, and though we’ve come a long way in the last year, we’re still recovering from the economic crisis it caused,” Biden said in a video statement on Wednesday. “This continued pause will help Americans breathe a little easier as we recover and rebuild from the pandemic.”

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said federal officials would continue to assess the financial impact of the pandemic on student borrowers throughout the pause and help them to start making payments again once they resume.

“The Department of Education is committed to ensuring that student loan borrowers have a smooth transition back to repayment,” he said in a statement. “This additional extension will allow borrowers to gain more financial security as the economy continues to improve and as the nation continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Many progressive lawmakers have called on Biden to go further, urging him to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt per borrower through executive action. Biden has resisted those efforts, saying debt cancellation should happen through Congress instead.

“This extension is critical, but now is the time for the president to use his authority to #CancelStudentDebt,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., tweeted.

Biden proposed a 43 percent increase in funding to ED’s Office of Federal Student Aid – an $800 million increase – in his annual budget request, which the White House said would improve customer service and financial planning services within the department to help student borrowers start making regular payments on their debt. Biden said the department will offer “additional flexibilities and support” for borrowers.

“I’m asking all student loan borrowers to work with the Department of Education to prepare for a return to repayment, look into Public Service Loan Forgiveness and explore other options to lower their payments,” Biden said.