Topic: College Affordability & Student Debt

Consensus Reached, Questions Remain: The Workforce Pell Rulemaking Recap

files December 19, 2025 by Roxanne Garza

US Department of Education has concluded the first week of negotiated rulemaking to implement the new Workforce Pell Grant program

How the Elimination of Grad PLUS Loans and Classification of Professional Degrees Harm Women and Students of Color

files December 16, 2025 by Sandra Perez, Brianna Huynh

OBBBA’s new regulations impose a lifetime limit on all federal student loans, including undergraduate. This means many students may reach their borrowing limit before completing their degree

Who Receives TRIO Funding? A National Snapshot of Federal TRIO Funding at Colleges and Universities

article-cropped December 02, 2025 by Daniel Ceva

An overview of which colleges receive TRIO grants, the amounts of those awards, and how the funds are distributed

Raising the Cost of Borrowing, Reducing Access: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Reshapes Financial Aid and Repayment

files November 06, 2025 by Victoria Jackson

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) cuts key federal financial aid programs for undergraduate and graduate students and consumer protections for student loan repayment

An Overview of State Financial Aid in Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota 

files October 30, 2025 by Victoria Jackson

As federal financial aid shrinks, college access and affordability will hinge on how states distribute student aid and set eligibility requirements. A new EdTrust report examines state financial aid programs in three Midwestern states.

New Federal Higher Education Overhaul Needs Improvements to Truly Hold Low-Value Programs Accountable

newspaper October 08, 2025 by EdTrust

EdTrust releases policy brief on strengthening higher education accountability framework

Making the New Higher Education Accountability Framework Pay Off

files October 08, 2025 by Roxanne Garza

Without stronger accountability, students from low- and middle-income backgrounds risk being burdened by debt with little chance of advancing up the economic ladder

The Consequences of Pell Grant Cuts on Student-Parents and Justice-Impacted Students

article-cropped September 29, 2025 by Alexa Garza, Ramieka Robinson

For millions of low-income and first-generation college students, the Pell Grant is more than financial aid; it is a lifeline

Shutting the Doors of Opportunity in Higher Education

article-cropped September 17, 2025 by Roxanne Garza

During a shadow hearing, students and borrowers, most of whom were the first in their family to attend college, testified about their worries of how they would pay off their student loans