[luckylion]

If it's not designed to be paid back, is it a loan?

noun: loan; plural noun: loans

    a thing that is borrowed, especially a sum of money that is expected to be paid back with interest.

Is it just called a loan because that sounds better than just calling it a subsidy?

[dopamean]

So the issue is with what the government is calling it?

[luckylion]

I believe that's why the parent comment had used quotes. It's not a loan, it's a subsidy. Calling it a loan is misleading, because loans are meant to be paid back, and this isn't.

[felipellrocha]

I believe it's a loan that can be forgiven if you fit into certain criteria. So, it's still a loan. If you fuck it up you have to pay back

[ric2b]

It's a subsidy with a penalty for those that don't follow the rules of the subsidy.