TICAS Statement on FY2027 House Education Funding Proposal

Last night, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its fiscal year (FY) 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill.

The following statement is attributable to Michele Zampini, Associate Vice President, Federal Policy & Advocacy, at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS):

“We support appropriators’ proposed investments in the Pell Grant program to increase the maximum award and address the program’s looming FY 2027 funding shortfall, but urge lawmakers to reject proposals to eliminate subsidized student loans and roll back protections for student veterans and service members.

“The bill’s elimination of subsidized federal student loans—which go to undergraduate students with high financial need—could spike college costs for these students by thousands of dollars. In the 2024-25 academic year, more than 4 million students benefited from subsidized loans. This same short-sighted proposal was included in an early version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and lawmakers rejected it. We urge them to do so again.

“We also support the inclusion of funding for programs that help students access and complete a degree, including the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program, the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program, and the TRIO and GEAR UP programs, and encourage lawmakers to reverse the cuts proposed to the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and the Federal Work-Study program. We also urge lawmakers to reject the bill’s provisions to repeal 90/10 regulations, which help protect student veterans and service members from being targeted by predatory schools for their education benefits.”