Student Loans: Republicans Back Plan to Give Some Borrowers Extra Money

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published May 09, 2025 at 5:19 PM EDT


A Republican congressman is leading a new bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives that would give married student loan borrowers a larger tax deduction on their loans.

Why It Matters

More than 42 million Americans have student loan debt, which has been a sticking point between Democrats and Republicans in recent years. Former President Joe Biden tried to forgive student loan debt during his time in office, arguing that Americans seeking an education are unfairly punished with decades of debt if they do not come from wealthy families who can afford tuition, but those efforts faced myriad legal setbacks.

Critics, on the other hand, have argued student loan forgiveness is unfair to those Americans who have already paid off their debt. The Student Loan Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by GOP Representative Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, could make it easier for some borrowers who are married to pay off that debt.

What to Know

Grothman's effort with the bill is joined by fellow Republicans, including Representatives Mary Miller of Illinois, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Rich McCormick of Georgia, David Rouzer of North Carolina and Michael Rulli of Ohio. Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene of Washington, Danny K. Davis of Illinois, John Larson of Connecticut and Kevin Mullin of California have also signed on in support. Currently, student loan borrowers are eligible for a $2,500 tax deduction; but married couples who file their taxes together may only take one deduction, even if both have student loans that would allow them to qualify for it. The bill would allow married couples filing a joint tax return to apply the deduction to each spouse, so they'll receive a $5,000 deduction in total, Grothman's office wrote in a statement.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/student-loans-republican-joint-tax-deduction-bill-2070454

[Silent Type]

1. So, married couples will get an extra $2500 deduction, for a "savings" of roughly $750 a year.

Ain’t much. Would be much better off to get a income-driven repayment plan.

[hildegaard28]

4. Not to

Mention it discriminates against unmarried people. Why should anyone pay more just because they're single or unmarried. On the other hand, this could create a lot of sham marriages. Just get married to a single friend to reap the benefits of marriage.

[JT45242]

5. Married people would not be getting more than single people...

It would be the SAME PER PERSON....

Currently, you are penalized for getting married.

If you live with someone and you both pay on your student loans. Nith people can take the deduction.

The moment you get married, it becomes one deduction per family unit.
There are a lot of marriage tax penalties if you don't have kids.

[OldBaldy1701E]

8. By design. Of course. (n/t)

[OhioTim]

3. Let's See

Student loan borrowers were all over Biden because he wasn't giving them enough of a break. Probably voted for Trump. Now Trump wants them to pay it all back with maybe a small tax break. What a bunch of idiots. They should have gone to a two year college and then a state university where they would have little debt.

[cstanleytech]

6. It should be all borrowers.

[Igel]

7. That's sort of the point.

It's already almost all borrowers. Unless you're part of a married couple where both partners pay student loans.

It's a special carve-out penalty just for them, currently.