New Analysis Projects Borrowers Would Owe Thousands of Dollars More Per Year Under New Senate Proposal
June 11, 2025 | WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee chair Bill Cassidy released a sweeping reconciliation bill that guts critical protections for student loan borrowers, restricts access to higher education, and costs families thousands of dollars—all to deliver tax cuts for the wealthy.
Today, the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) sent a letter to HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders analyzing this new proposal and finding that a typical borrower with a bachelor’s degree would be forced to pay nearly $3,000 more per year.
In response, SBPC Executive Director Mike Pierce released the following statement:
“This bill is nearly a carbon copy of the House’s shameful playbook: rob struggling families to pay for tax handouts for billionaires. Senator Cassidy’s so-called ‘reforms’ will trap generations of students in debt by cutting affordable repayment options, stripping protections, and locking low-income Americans out of college—all while driving profits to predatory lenders and for-profit colleges.
“Just like the House bill, this legislation exposes President Trump’s promises to lower costs as lies. The Senate Republican bill continues to reward the wealthy and elite, while leaving millions of borrowers to drown in unaffordable debt. The Senate must reject this harmful scheme and focus on real solutions that lower costs—not push more Americans into financial ruin.”
Further Reading
SBPC’s letter: Preliminary Economic Analysis of Senate Proposal on Student Loan Repayment
SBPC statement on House reconciliation bill passage: House Republicans Rush Passage of Massive Reconciliation Bill Delivering Tax Cuts to Billionaires on the Backs of Students and Working Families
SBPC Deep Dive on the House reconciliation bill’s impact on student loan repayment: House Reconciliation Bill Makes Paying for College More Expensive and Risky for Students and Working Families
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About Student Borrower Protection Center
Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) is a nonprofit organization focused on eliminating the burden of student debt for millions of Americans. We engage in advocacy, policymaking, and litigation strategy to rein in industry abuses, protect borrowers’ rights, and advance racial and economic justice.
Learn more at protectborrowers.org or follow SBPC on Twitter @theSBPC.