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Last month, Southern New Hampshire University proudly celebrated the graduation of 19,000 students. They came from all 50 states and reflect the full breadth of our nation’s diversity and promise. Many are working adults, parents, first-generation college students, servicemembers and veterans, and learners of all ages. They represent America at its best.
But this is an important moment in higher education – one that could have real and lasting impacts on the students we serve and the future we are helping them build. Congress is currently moving budget reconciliation bills that could have big impacts on learners, their families, and their communities. The House Majority passed a bill that would change the Pell program to limit or eliminate access for today’s learners and make college more expensive through increasing the costs of loans. While the Senate HELP Committee has not proposed such drastic changes to the Pell program, they are proposing changes to loans that deserve deeper discussion to ensure they support, rather than burden, students. We’re watching for changes to SNAP and Medicaid that could impact access for learners who struggle with basic needs.
Too often, our conversations about higher education center on institutions and overlook the students they exist to serve. If we want a higher education system that delivers on its promise, we must start by asking: What do today’s learners need to thrive?
At SNHU, we know that the answer starts with listening to students and ensuring our higher education policies reflect their lives. More than 40 million Americans have some college credit but no credential. Many juggle work, caregiving, and financial insecurity while pursuing their degrees. These students need flexible, affordable, and supportive pathways.
The Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP) is leading these conversations, not just for SNHU students, but for learners across the country. Through this quarterly newsletter, Jamie Fasteau and the CHEPP team will share insights that help make sense of federal policy and elevate the needs of learners everywhere.
I hope this newsletter will become a trusted resource as we navigate our evolving higher education landscape.
Warmly,
Lisa Marsh Ryerson
President, Southern New Hampshire University
Research in Focus: Unpacking the 40 Million
Our traditional higher education system doesn’t work for all learners – but new, flexible pathways can help close the gaps. With the right support, the 40 million Americans with some college but no degree can finish what they started. CHEPP’s latest policy brief introduces us to those learners – their strengths and unique challenges – while providing a framework for institutions and policymakers designing learner-centered programs that support their return and success.
Policy Watch: Budget Reconciliation
At CHEPP, we track the policies that have the potential to shape higher education and that affect the ability of learners to access and succeed on their education journeys. Right now, our focus is on the Congressional Budget Reconciliation Process, including the House-passed 2025 budget reconciliation bill and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee proposal. It is unclear how these bills will be negotiated into a final-passed package, so we are continuing to monitor both versions and how they could make college less accessible and more expensive for today’s learners.
The House-Passed version:
- Eliminates access to Pell Grants for students enrolled less than half-time and cuts Pell Grants for part-time students by nearly $1,500
- Eliminates subsidized student loans, increasing the average undergraduate debt by $6,000
- Makes changes to SNAP and Medicaid that exacerbate food insecurity and limit healthcare coverage, which many learners rely on to stay enrolled and graduate across the country.
The Senate bill rejects the House bill’s changes to Pell Grant eligibility for part-time students and maintains access to subsidized student loans.
Both proposals include provisions that could limit access and increase the cost of college, including:
- Streamlining loan repayment with two plans that require higher payments and give borrowers fewer options, eliminates deferment during periods of hardship and limits forbearance.
- Eliminating GradPLUS and new graduate loan limits could limit access to graduate degree programs and force more borrowers into the private student loan market with higher costs and fewer borrower protections.
- New ParentPLUS borrowing limits that could limit student and family program choices and result in more borrowers seeking out private student loan options.
These cuts will affect more than learners alone – they will ripple across our economy. Education and healthcare are the largest expenditures in State budgets. Under these proposals, States will receive fewer federal dollars, forcing them to make their own cuts to higher education funding and other vital services. Reductions to Medicaid and other public programs will leave millions of Americans without food, housing, and healthcare. By making it harder for learners to complete their degrees, Congress will shrink the pool of skilled workers that our economy relies on.
Read the sign-on letter from CHEPP and 62 organizations urging the Senate to reject cuts that will impact college student access and affordability in the House-passed reconciliation bill.
Student Story: SNHU Learners Visit Capitol Hill
“This was such a rewarding and eye-opening experience that I will forever cherish.” – Angie, SNHU student
During the annual Today’s Students Coalition DC Student Summit in March, 80 college students from across the country advocated for federal policy change on Capitol Hill. Among them was Angie, a Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) student who overcame early academic struggles to enroll at SNHU in 2020. She attributes her ability to succeed in higher education to the university’s flexible, learner-centered academic approach, which enabled her to balance remote learning and a full course load with working multiple jobs and caring for her 87-year-old grandfather.
Read, Watch, Listen
Read
Catherine Brown, National College Attainment Network:
Eliminating Subsidized Loans Will Increase Undergraduate Student Debt by $6,000
A must-read article on the budget reconciliation bill and its impact on today’s learners.
Watch
Ohio Association of Food Banks: College Student Basic Needs Webinar
A timely webinar on college student basic needs, featuring insights from experts at the Hope Center, Urban Institute, and Ohio Association of Foodbanks, along with lived experience shared by student, mother, and educator Jolara O’Harra.
Listen
The EdUp Experience: How to Serve the Some-College-No-Credential Market
A thoughtful episode on how higher education institutions can better serve the 40 million learners with some college but no credential. For more, read the CHEPP fact sheet on Unpacking the 40 Million.
In Partnership
CHEPP was proud to partner with learners to advocate for federal policy change on Capitol Hill during the annual Today’s Students Coalition DC Student Summit in March. This year, 80 students from colleges across the country – including Angie – visited Washington, D.C. to receive advocacy training and share their personal stories with policymakers.
The students were able to speak with experts on federal education policy, including key issues like basic needs supports, and met with policymakers. Each student was able to share stories about how federal financial aid and support programs helped them earn their degrees, emphasizing the importance of advocacy for policy changes.
Through partnerships like the TSC Summit, CHEPP elevates the voices of today’s students, advocating for their lived experiences to shape the future of higher education policy.