One Big Beautiful Bill Is One Big Betrayal
Why the new federal bill marks a dangerous shift away from college access and affordability
In The News Piece in Inside Higher Ed
Samuel Corum/Getty Images News/Getty Images
July 14, 2025
In a new Inside Higher Ed op-ed, New America’s Rachel Fishman explains how the “One Big Beautiful Bill” dismantles key student loan programs and threatens educational opportunity.
In late June, House Republicans aired a promotional video about their budget reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, claiming it will “make the American dream accessible to all Americans again.” That dream—that anyone in this country can achieve prosperity and success through hard work and determination—is what leads people to come to America and stay. It’s no wonder that politicians invoke this promise as part of the reason for needed change.
Higher education has long been seen as one of the surest paths to economic security in America—it is one foundation that dream rests on. It feels consequential, therefore, that President Trump and congressional Republicans are looking to undercut this vision of the American dream.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reshape federal student aid in ways that transform access to higher education and shut everyday Americans out.
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