1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

The federal student loan program is crucial for ensuring access to higher education and economic mobility for Americans. However, the program is now facing serious threats from proposed budget cuts and an illegal attempt to move it from the Department of Education to the Small Business Administration (SBA). This transfer would endanger borrowers by creating logistical chaos, as the SBA has already cut over 40% of its staff and lacks the capacity to manage a program that lends over $100 billion annually and collects around $1.6 trillion in loan payments. Additionally, budget reconciliation mandates $330 billion in cuts to Education and Workforce spending over the next decade, putting key programs like Pell Grants and borrower protections at risk. These moves would limit funding for low-income students, raise monthly payments by ending income-based repayment plans, make it harder for borrowers to get relief when misled by schools, and cancel loan forgiveness for public service workers. This will make college unaffordable for many and saddle others with insurmountable debt. I urge you to take immediate action to protect funding for the federal student loan program and block its illegal transfer to the SBA. Access to affordable higher education is essential for the future of our nation's students and economy. We cannot allow these destructive changes to move forward.