This post was updated July 27 at 3:14 p.m.
Earlier this month, Congress narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s signature piece of legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The Trump administration has made it abundantly clear that students are a target. Deportation efforts focused on high-profile activists, visa revocations and federal cuts to research funding are just a few of the many efforts by the president to harm students.
When Trump inked his name on the bill, it marked a continuation of his administration’s battle with students and universities across the nation. The bill includes a vast reduction in student borrowing, available payment options and federal awards for colleges.
The Big Beautiful Bill Act poses a threat to students at UCLA and nationwide, as it will make it increasingly difficult to finance undergraduate education. Furthermore, it will become even more challenging to pursue advanced degrees. Among those who will suffer the most are lower-income families, especially first-generation college students.
For many, college is a steep yet worthwhile expense, with the average annual cost of attendance nationwide being over $27,000 for in-state public school students who live on campus. UCLA’s in-state cost is upward of $43,000, with 78% of first-year students receiving some form of financial aid – a percentage that has increased over the last several years.
Though paying for school requires sacrifice, it seemingly promises to pay dividends in the long run, in employment and upward social mobility.
The law – which congressional Republicans say will increase the accessibility and affordability of higher education – will only make the cost of higher education more burdensome.
It narrows the variety of loan repayment options to just two, creating stricter regulations for students facing financial difficulty.
The law also puts a $200,000 cap on the money that graduate and professional students can borrow. This completely eliminates the former GradPLUS program, which allowed students to borrow up to the full cost of attendance.
These changes will directly impede students who are trying to obtain professional and graduate degrees, especially those of lower income status.
UCLA students will particularly feel the impacts. About 29% of UCLA undergraduates are first-generation college students, and 27% receive Pell Grants. These numbers will surely dwindle, as many students will have trouble financing their education. In turn, countless students’ careers will be put on hold or entirely rerouted, which will cause their chances of upward social mobility to decrease.
More broadly, by denying students access to undergraduate or advanced education entirely, this administration jeopardizes the future of the nation.
Students attending UCLA and other universities across the United States will be the lawmakers, doctors, engineers and innovators who will shape the future of the country. Making it harder for lower-income students to achieve higher education will limit the diversity of perspectives in our world and further marginalize communities that for so long have been silenced.
The One Big Beautiful Bill directly points back to the Trump administration’s battle against education. Since the start of his second term, Trump has focused his efforts on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the U.S. More recently, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that will allow Trump to dismantle the Department of Education, which plays a huge role in protecting equal access to education and distributing federal financial aid and grants.
Along with the newly passed legislation, these actions show the current administration’s intolerance for multiple opinions, those who want to push boundaries and outside-the-box thinkers.
The message is clear: Fall in line or face the consequences.
Students, teachers and allies must speak out because the fight against Trump is a fight for the future of education.
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