Sen. Richard Blumenthal slammed President Donald Trump’s plan Monday to limit access to student loan programs for advanced teaching and social work degrees.

Blumenthal says new caps imposed by the president’s "Big Beautiful Bill" – One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act – forces students to take out expensive private loans or forgo higher education altogether.

"Now if you could imagine a measure that is stupid and cruel, it would be capping the loans that are available to teachers and social workers as they pursue their professional studies,” said Blumenthal. 

The senator also noted that there is a nationwide and statewide shortage of teachers.

The cap Blumenthal is referring to limits graduate degree program borrowing to $20,500, with a $100,000 lifetime cap.

Borrowing for professional degree programs is capped at $50,000, with a lifetime limit of $200,000.