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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies advanced a funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2026 that would slash higher education spending. These cuts would make it harder for millions of students to pay for college and finish a degree.
The bill would:
- Cut discretionary education funding to $66.7 billion, a 15% cut ($12.1 billion) compared to FY25.
- Eliminate the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, which gives financial aid to low-income students.
- Eliminate the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, which supports the more than 1 in 5 students who are parenting while enrolled in school.
- Cut funding for the Federal Work Study (FWS) program by $451 million, which will increase debt burdens for working students.
- Maintain the current maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395, but includes no inflation adjustment, meaning the award will lose value year-over-year.
- Maintain FY25 funding for the TRIO ($1.2 billion) and GEAR UP ($388 million) programs.
- Cut funding for the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights by $49 million.
- Block the Education Department from implementing Biden-era regulations related to institutional accountability (the borrower defense to repayment, financial value transparency, gainful employment, and 90/10 rules), student loan repayment, and Title IX.
The following statement is attributable to Sameer Gadkaree, President & CEO at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS):
“In contrast to Senate appropriators’ FY26 funding proposal, the House funding proposal is worse for students, borrowers, and our nation’s future.
“The measure cuts funding for programs that give students aid and support parenting students, reducing debt and drop-out rates. And it fails to provide sufficient administrative support for the Education Department. Without this funding, the Department will struggle to carry out its core functions or implement the recently passed budget reconciliation package.
“The bill’s provisions to block implementation of essential student and borrower protections would erode the value that students get from college.
“Congress must pass a funding measure to help all students who dream of a college degree—regardless of their parents’ wealth—to realize their aspirations.
“We urge lawmakers to reject the House’s proposed cuts and instead follow the Senate’s lead by maintaining existing federal support for effective, long-standing higher education programs.”
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