Legislative Action

In February 2026, the Congressional Budget Office released new funding projections for the Pell Grant program. Absent congressional action, the Pell program is now projected to face a funding gap of $5.4 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which would grow to nearly $11.5 billion for FY 2027. Lawmakers face a choice: invest enough to keep the program whole or make harmful cuts.

Income-based plans are the best tool we have to keep borrowers out of delinquency and default. But if payments aren’t actually affordable, borrowers fall behind. 

H.R.1 is a missed opportunity to increase economic mobility and reduce long-term reliance on SNAP. Our new report breaks down the economic and societal benefits of including higher education as qualifying employment option for SNAP benefits and provides concrete policy recommendations for implementation. 

TICAS’ 2026 Federal Policy Agenda advises members of the 119th Congress how to make it possible for any student—regardless of their financial circumstances—to earn a high-quality postsecondary degree or credential without taking on burdensome debt. 

Our new fact sheet examines the private loan borrowing landscape for graduate students over the past 30 years and raises concerns that the OBBBA may drive more students into the risky private loan market or prevent them from obtaining graduate credentials altogether. 

Today, appropriators released a bipartisan, bicameral compromise for fiscal year (FY) 2026 that maintains funding for essential financial aid and student support programs, including the Pell Grant program, TRIO, and the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) Program. TICAS released the following statement in response.