Blumenthal Joins Bill to Bolster SNAP Benefits for Student Loan Borrowers
[Hartford, CT] – Today U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in reintroducing the Student Loan Deduction Act, legislation to allow households utilizing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to deduct monthly payments made on federal and private student loans from their income when calculating eligibility for the food assistance program. Last year, nearly 400,000 Connecticut residents relied on SNAP, which provides an average benefit of $6.29 dollars a day. This bill will protect food assistance for working families who are actively making student loan payments.
“The Student Loan Deduction Act ensures that people are not missing out on essential assistance through SNAP because of student loan payments and the increased cost of living. Outdated SNAP income requirements are preventing families from accessing the SNAP benefits they deserve, putting unnecessary stress on their hard-earned paychecks. This legislation recognizes the financial burdens straining a household’s income and supports families as they overcome obstacles to put food on the table,” said Senator Blumenthal.
“Nearly 70,000 Vermonters rely on SNAP, called 3Squares in Vermont. It is essential this vital hunger assistance program accurately captures the financial reality of those who need it. Yet we’re seeing SNAP recipients lose out on vital benefits because of outdated income requirements that don’t reflect financial stresses, like high student loan payments,” said Senator Welch. “This legislation aims to expand access to SNAP benefits, so student loan payments don’t impact Vermonters’ ability to feed their families.”
“With the cost of education and grocery bills climbing, vulnerable Californians should not be punished for costs they can’t avoid,” said Senator Padilla. “In the wake of Donald Trump and Republicans’ cruel cuts to nutrition assistance, we must ensure that California families receive the full SNAP benefits they rely on. This bill would finally ensure that monthly student loan payments are treated like housing and child care expenses and deducted from income calculations for determining SNAP benefits.”
“Those with student loan debt are working with tight budgets, made even more slim by the rising cost of living,” said Senator Shaheen. “In the wake of Republican cuts to food assistance programs, I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing a bill that will improve SNAP support for households with federal or private student loan debt, ensuring they can put enough food on the table for their families.”
“With costs rising by the day, folks walking an economic tightrope like seniors and students shouldn’t have to choose between paying to put food on the table or paying for other necessities,” said Senator Wyden. “This legislation will ensure that these people get the support they need to succeed and thrive. I’m proud to work with Senator Welch and Congresswoman Moore to help make this a reality.”
“As Trump and Republicans gut food assistance and other basic needs programs and make sure even fewer neighbors in need can access these vital benefits, I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation that would help reverse that trajectory,” said Senator Duckworth. “We should be making it easier—not harder—for our fellow Americans to put food on the table, and our bill would help to ensure more students and families in need can access the SNAP benefits they deserve so they don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”
“No one should have to choose food over paying back their student loans,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Student Loan Deduction Act will ensure that when we calculate eligibility for SNAP, we account for the crushing burden of student debt that millions of families are carrying every month. By treating student debt payments like other essential expenses, we better ensure people have access to the food assistance they need. 2.9 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP, and I won’t stop fighting until every recipient gets the support they need to put food on the table.”
According to the Education Data Initiative, 42.5 million U.S. borrowers have federal student loan debt, averaging $38,375 per borrower, while the average monthly student loan payment is an estimated $536. By permitting a deduction for these payments, the legislation aims to provide a more accurate representation of a household's available income. Furthermore, this approach aligns with existing practices within SNAP, where various deductions, such as housing and childcare expenses, are already considered in the determination process.
Learn more about the Student Loan Deduction Act of 2025.
Read and download the full text of the bill.
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