WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late last week, President Trump released his fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget request that expanded on his “skinny budget” from early May. In the latest version, cuts to higher education access and success programming and financial aid were equally stark. The request would slash funding for the U.S. Department of Education by $12 billion compared to fiscal year 2025, a 15.3 percent reduction.
The following statement is attributable to Sameer Gadkaree, President & CEO of The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS):
“The proposed cuts are a full-scale retreat from college access and success for those who do not come from wealthy families. If adopted, they would require millions of enrolled students to drop out or take on more debt to complete their degrees – likely denying countless prospective low- and moderate-income students the opportunity to go to college altogether.
“This stark departure from decades of investment in college access and affordability is a recipe for future workforce shortages and a less prosperous nation. At the most basic level, a government that devalues access to affordable, quality higher education cannot meet the demands of a competitive, global marketplace. From teachers to machine operators, police officers, nurses, and engineers, the U.S. needs an educated workforce. But if only some of us can succeed in college, then we will all suffer the consequences.
“We urge Congress to reject this attack on low-income students and instead, invest in our nation’s future.”
The budget proposes the following devastating cuts to federal student aid programs:
- Cuts the maximum Pell Grant award for the 2026-27 academic year to $5,710, down from the current award maximum of $7,395—a $1,685, or 23%, decrease.
- Eliminates funding for TRIO, GEAR UP, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program.
- Proposes a $980 million cut to the Federal Work-Study program and reduces the federal contribution to a student’s hourly wage to 25 percent.
- Eliminates funding for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) program, including the Postsecondary Success Grant Program (PSSG) and Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students grant program.
The budget also cuts discretionary funding and reduces benefits for recipients of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, and cuts discretionary administration costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by over half. These kinds of cuts save little money while creating real losses for Americans who rely on food assistance, including college students where over 1 in 5 students are experiencing food insecurity.
