New Survey: 9 in 10 Student Loan Borrowers Plan to Vote in the Midterms as Two-Thirds Cut Back on Food, Healthcare, and Housing to Make Payments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2026
Contact:
Natalia Abrams
WASHINGTON D.C. — With the midterm elections just weeks away, a new Student Debt Crisis Center survey of 4,283 respondents finds that student loan borrowers are bringing the affordability crisis to the polls. More than 9 in 10 respondents (92%) plan to vote in November, and 88% say their student loan experience will influence how they vote. In another finding, nearly two-thirds of borrowers (65%) report cutting back on basic needs, including food, housing, or healthcare, to afford their student loan payments. That includes 63% of borrowers who are current and in good standing on their loans. These timely findings shed necessary light on the growing financial strain of student loan repayment, including its impact on basic needs, savings, and other debt, as well as on borrowers' trust in a federal student loan system plagued by countless errors. This survey was conducted from September 9 to October 14, 2026, with respondents from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and three U.S. territories.
Key survey findings include:
Student debt is on the ballot. 92% of respondents plan to vote in the November midterms, and 88% say their student loan experience will influence how they vote, including 71% who say it will influence their vote significantly.
Borrowers are going without basic needs. 65% of respondents have cut back on food, housing, or healthcare to afford their student loan payments: 53% on food and groceries, 37% on healthcare, and 27% on housing. Even more have sacrificed their financial security, with 64% cutting back on emergency savings. If they didn’t have a student loan payment, 63% say they would use that money to pay down other debt.
Being in good standing doesn’t mean being able to afford it. Among borrowers who are current on their loans and have estimated their payment on a new repayment plan, 93% say they will struggle to afford it or won’t be able to afford it at all. Of borrowers who reported they are in forbearance, deferment, or not in good standing, 66% say they won’t be able to afford their new payment at all.
Borrowers are falling behind. Nearly 1 in 10 respondents are in default or delinquent on their loans, and about half of them (51%) have already tried to resolve their status. Nearly 9 in 10 respondents (88%) have spent time in forbearance or deferment.
PSLF errors are widespread, and new restrictions are largely unknown. More than 1 in 4 respondents (27%) report being impacted by Public Service Loan Forgiveness credit errors, such as miscounted qualifying payments or employer certification issues. Of those, more than half (52%) have also experienced servicing errors. Meanwhile, 71% are unaware that the new Tiered Standard Plan will not qualify for PSLF.
Borrowers rely on servicers for information but don’t trust them. 69% get information about their student loans from their servicers, but less than a quarter (23%) of borrowers trust their servicer most to provide accurate and timely information. Nonprofit and advocacy organizations are the most trusted source (37%). Just 9% of respondents feel confident they have the information they need to make decisions about their loans.
Balances keep growing despite years of repayment. 38% of respondents owe $100,000 or more. Of those who know their original loan amount, 60% originally borrowed less than $100,000, and 86% have carried their debt for more than a decade. Across all respondents, 56% now owe more than they originally borrowed.
As the midterm elections approach in November and more One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) changes are implemented, student loan borrowers are paying attention. Rising monthly payments are taking a massive toll on borrowers, even those who make their payments on time, and most are navigating these changes without the information they need. 87% of respondents say they lack enough information, or still have questions, about making decisions on their loans. Awareness of the new rules is low: 60% did not know that consolidating or taking out new loans after July 1, 2026, limits them to the Tiered Standard Plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).
“The broken and error-riddled federal student loan system is exacerbating the negative impacts of the core problem student loan borrowers are facing: the worsening affordability crisis. The reality is that the 43 million Americans affected by this are voters, and based on our findings we know borrowers plan to head to the polls,” said Natalia Abrams, President of the Student Debt Crisis Center. “Borrowers did not create this broken system and they are not responsible for fixing it. To Congress and the White House: prioritize affordability and pause all student loan payments and interest now. It’s time for student debt to be taken seriously as a pillar of the affordability crisis.”
As borrowers continue to navigate the complex financial implications of OBBBA provisions, including new repayment plans and the end of the SAVE Plan, these survey findings highlight the role of student debt in the affordability crisis and the changing nature of trust in the federal student loan system.
For more information, to schedule an interview, or to request additional data, please contact Natalia Abrams at natalia@studentdebtcrisis.org.
Additional Findings:
Long-term borrowers are the most likely to vote. 94% of borrowers who have carried their debt for 20+ years plan to vote in the midterms.
Debt grows the longer borrowers carry it. Among borrowers who have carried their loans for 20 years or more, 65% now owe more than they originally borrowed, compared with 42% of borrowers who took out loans in the last decade. Nearly half (47%) of long-term borrowers owe $100,000 or more.
Errors and forbearance pile up over time. 94% of long-term borrowers have spent time in forbearance or deferment. Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) report PSLF credit errors, nearly double the rate among newer borrowers (16%).
Experience erodes trust in servicers. One-third of newer borrowers (33%) trust their servicer most for accurate information. Among long-term borrowers, that falls to 21%, and twice as many (40%) trust nonprofit and advocacy organizations most.
The strain starts early. Even borrowers who took out their loans within the last decade are struggling: 59% have cut back on basic needs, including 52% on food, nearly the same share as long-term borrowers.
Borrowers in their own words:
On Student Loans as a Voting Issue:
“I’ve had loans for nearly 20 years. I’m in PSLF and have been working in a non-profit setting at significantly less wages for 139 months… Student loans will be my number one voting issue.” — Medical professional, Kentucky
“I’ve been paying these loans for over 20 years. I will not vote for a politician that doesn’t support student loan forgiveness.” — Mental health therapist, Washington
On Public Service Loan Forgiveness:
“I have done everything I was told I was supposed to do. I have worked in a confirmed PSLF-eligible job for 13 years. I have applied for buyback. I have done the right things. And now I'm going to get a bill that is larger than any I've ever had for student loans even though I should have had my buyback processed in the last two years. I'm terrified. I can't afford this.” — High school math teacher, Indiana
“Was paying roughly $299 on SAVE. Being quoted between $1,300 and $1,700 per month now. Stuck in the buyback fiasco for 451 days and counting.” — Lawyer, Georgia
On Default and Collections:
“My student loan has switched so many hands and it was hard to find out who had it at several points. My tax refund has been taken, my check has been garnished. When I have found out whose hands my loan is in they want me to make a monthly payment I can't afford.” — Stay-at-home parent, New York
“Four loan servicers in almost 25 years and interest is crazy… I am 74 years old, retired on Social Security and about to be garnished for the second time. I am at my wits' end to provide for my family.” — Retired city building inspector, New York
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ABOUT Student Debt Crisis Center
Student Debt Crisis Center is a national advocacy organization with nearly 2,000,000 supporters calling for fundamental reforms to student loan policies and an end to the student debt crisis. Learn more here.
