Duckworth Joins Welch, Colleagues in Reintroducing Bill to Bolster SNAP Benefits for Student Loan Borrowers

Duckworth Joins Welch, Colleagues in Reintroducing Bill to Bolster SNAP Benefits for Student Loan Borrowers

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and colleagues 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.

"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 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."

"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 Yet we're seeing SNAP recipients lose out on vital benefits because of outdated income requirements that don't reflect financial stresses, like high student loan payments," said Welch. "This legislation aims to expand access to SNAP benefits, so student loan payments don't impact Vermonters' ability to feed their families."

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.

In addition to Duckworth and Welch, the Student Loan Deduction Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The Student Loan Deduction Act of 2025 is endorsed by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Hunger Free Vermont and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

The full text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth's website.

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