People with student loan debt are more likely to vote and get involved in political activities
In the United States, where
Student Loan Debt and Participation in American National Elections - David Macdonald, 2025
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10659129251331004
Student loan debt doesn't deter civic engagement — it may actually drive it, new research suggests
https://www.psypost.org/student-loan-debt-doesnt-deter-civic-engagement-it-may-actually-drive-it-new-research-suggests/
Many adults in the United States have student loan debt, and in recent years, rising college tuition fees and stagnant wages have made student loans a hot political issue, especially among younger Americans and progressive policymakers. However, little research has been done on the impact of student loan debt on political behavior.
McDonald used data from the Cooperative Election Study , a national survey conducted around the time of the US presidential and midterm elections, to examine whether student loan debt predicts participation in national elections.
After taking into account factors such as age, education, income, race, political interest, and exposure to campaigning, the study found that Americans with student loan debt are more likely to vote in the presidential election than those without. They are also more likely to put up political signs in their yards, support campaigns, and donate to political causes. These results were consistent regardless of whether they lived in a swing state or a non-swing state.
The finding that people with student loan debt are more politically engaged runs counter to the commonly held belief that economic hardship discourages people from participating in politics. Several previous studies have shown that factors such as unemployment, economic anxiety, and stress reduce political participation rates, so it would seem natural that student loan debt would also discourage people from political activity.
McDonald has suggested that, unlike credit card debt, student loan debt is owed to the federal government. More than 90% of student loans are provided by the federal government, which plays a central role in setting repayment terms, grace periods, and forgiveness programs.
Because of the direct link between student loans and the federal government, people with student loan debt may perceive their debt as 'federally controlled' and believe they can reduce it through political action.
In fact, a 2023 poll found that more than 70% of student loan borrowers correctly identified their loans as federal, and they also had a much better understanding of policies such as the suspension of repayments and proposed debt forgiveness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic than the general public.
To see whether the political activism of people with student loan debt influences policy, McDonald looked at polling data from 2019. He found that people with student loan debt were significantly more likely to support student loan forgiveness and free tuition at public universities than those without.
For example, 66% of people with student loan debt support forgiving existing student loan debt, compared with just 31% of people without debt. This difference suggests that increased voter turnout among people with student loan debt could have a tangible impact on election outcomes and policies.
However, this study has limitations, such as focusing on a presidential election year and not taking into account differences in loan amounts or psychological burdens. In addition, it remains an open question as to how the student loan forgiveness policy implemented under former President Joe Biden will affect long-term political participation.
'If government measures are successful in easing borrowers' financial burdens, the link between political participation and personal well-being may be perceived stronger. On the other hand, if promised reforms stagnate or are blocked, borrowers may become disappointed and politically polarized,' psychology media outlet PsyPost said.
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