Did Hope Walz, daughter of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, receive $82,000 in student loan forgiveness despite her parents being worth $138 million? No, that's not true: The claim originates from a website that clearly labels its work as satire, parody and fiction. The claim is not based on any factual evidence, nor is her parents' reported net worth anywhere near $138 million.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on August 11, 2024, under the caption "The average poor sap got nothing ...." The post's meme said:
Hope Walz received $82K in Student Loan Forgiveness - Her Parents are worth $138 Million
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Wed Aug 14 15:27:41 2024 UTC)
The social media post provided no documentation or other independent evidence to support its implication that the daughter of the Minnesota governor received $82,000 in student loan forgiveness while her parents maintain a net worth of $138 million.
America's Last Line of Defense
A small circle in the bottom left-hand corner of the post belies the message of this meme. It's highlighted by a yellow square below:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Wed Aug 14 15:27:41 2024 UTC)
The ALLOD stands for America's Last Line of Defense, which describes itself as a "network of parody, satire, and tomfoolery." The little logo also includes the word "SATIRE" over a capital "S." The website's "About US" makes its intentions clear:
Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you have your head examined. Any similarities between this site's pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical.
For good measure, the website throws in its definition of satire, which says:
The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, OR ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
The ALLOD Facebook published a similar post on August 10, 2024, making the same general claim. This is what it looked like at the time of writing (notice the ALLOD logo in the corner):
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Wed Aug 14 15:27:41 2024 UTC)
Net worth
The Minnesota governor's net worth is no secret and it's nowhere near $138 million. Forbes and Investopedia estimate it at around $1 million. A Wall Street Journal headline from August 20024 says: "Tim Walz Isn't Very Rich."
His most recent financial disclosure filed in January 2024 with the state of Minnesota indicates that Walz doesn't own any stocks, property or businesses. As governor, Walz is entitled to a salary of $149,550 but has chosen to be paid $127,629 instead, the same amount he received when he was first elected to the post in 2018.
According to his 2019 congressional financial disclosure, Walz's only investments are state and teacher pension plans, a 529 college savings plan and a whole life insurance policy.
Student loan forgiveness
Hope Walz graduated from Montana State University in 2023, according to a story published August 6, 2024, in the Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis. A spokeswoman for the governor's office told the paper that she is a social worker in Montana.
Although the social media post is satire, Lead Stories checked into the likelihood that her student loans, if she has any, would have been forgiven already. It's doubtful.
Student loan forgiveness under the U.S. Department of Education is a decadelong process, typically applicable if you're involved in public service as a teacher, government employee or medical professional or if you work for a nonprofit. If Walz works for a nonprofit as a social worker she could potentially qualify under Public Service Loan Forgiveness:
You may be able to receive Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) if
- you're employed by a qualifying not-for-profit organization, and
- you have a Direct Loan.*
The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loan after you've made the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full time for a qualifying employer.
Read more
Other fact check agencies have also reviewed this claim, including Snopes and Best Lagos.
Other fact checks about Tim Walz can be read here. Lead Stories has debunked other claims related to the 2024 presidential election, which can be read here.
