We, the undersigned students, educators, and advocates, strongly oppose the higher education provisions included in the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Reconciliation Proposal introduced by House Budget Committee Chairman Jason Smith.

This bill includes some of the most damaging changes to federal student aid in decades. If enacted, it would eliminate subsidized loans for undergraduate students and Grad PLUS loans for graduate students beginning in 2026. It would impose a $200,000 lifetime cap on all federal student loans, restrict access to Parent PLUS loans, and remove essential borrower protections such as hardship deferments and income-driven repayment plans. The bill would also redefine full-time enrollment for Pell Grant eligibility to 30 credits per year, which would disqualify nearly two-thirds of current recipients. On top of that, it would cap student aid based on a national median cost of attendance rather than the actual cost students face at their own institutions. 

These changes would disproportionately harm low-income, working-class, first-generation, and nontraditional students. Millions of students across the country depend on federal aid to complete their education, and this proposal would make college less affordable and harder to finish. This legislation is being fast-tracked through budget reconciliation, a process that avoids the Senate filibuster and allows passage with only a simple majority vote. That means these sweeping cuts could become law without meaningful public debate or bipartisan scrutiny.

We urge Congress to reject these provisions and instead work to strengthen and protect student aid. Every student deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education without being burdened by insurmountable debt or forced to drop out due to affordability barriers. We call on lawmakers to protect our future. Reject the FY25 student aid cuts.