Under the Trump administration, universities are overshadowed by a dark cloud of constrained funding and an unstable future for higher education. It seems that the power of education has threatened the current administration, as logic and intelligence are clearly difficult qualities for the executive branch to grasp. 

The abolishment of the Direct PLUS Loan program under the ratification of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) will shut out lower and middle-class students from American graduate programs, solidifying education as a luxury only for the wealthy and privileged. The program funds the attendance of graduate and professional students seeking higher education with a fixed interest rate for the entirety of the loan’s lifespan, and the amount available for borrowing is the cost of attendance without other financial assistance included. The removal of the Grad PLUS loan program ultimately pushes borrowers toward the private loan network, which is a selective process that is less willing to overlook financial instabilities. Private loans typically have high, unfixed interest rates that are valued as much as 26%, depending on the co-signer’s or borrower’s credit score. This enactment is particularly detrimental to lower-income families. 

This abolishment is a “big beautiful” setback in the American education system, harming the future generations of the nation. Trump’s attack on the education system was not unintentional. Knowledge is a powerful tool that unites us. Knowledge keeps us informed. Knowledge shapes changemakers. Don’t fret, though; the government pocketed $307 billion from this change. These funds could potentially be used to deploy more national troops to protect America from Americans.

Students pursuing a professional graduate degree, such as medicine, dentistry or law, will be capped at a borrowable limit of up to $50,000 annually. Most Master’s degrees and PhD programs are subject to a loan limit of up to $20,500 annually. Under the previous law, federal loans were permitted for the cost of attendance as defined by the educational institution. Now, such loan limits exist under the OBBB. You’d think it cannot get worse. However, the loans are also restricted by a maximum value that can be borrowed across one’s academic career. 

This decision has put immense pressure on institutions—forcing them into a stalemate. Many are uncertain of how to mend the huge Trump-sized hole. Some institutions, including Case Western Reserve University, have given in to the pressures of conforming to the administration’s demands to salvage their federal funding by eliminating their Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive (DEI) Engagement.

For centuries now, humanity has embraced wisdom and innovation. There will be none left if the majority of its prospective students are unable to attend higher educational institutions. It is unheard of for education to be threatened in such a way. We are trekking through unfamiliar territory under the current jurisdiction of America.

So, what now? CWRU has a substantial pre-professional population. The drastic political decision is one that cannot go unnoticed, as it affects so many. Though the future is unpredictable, changes are bound to happen, good and bad. Pre-professional students may find comfort in the security blanket of external scholarship facilitated by professional recommendations and eloquent essays. In the long term, such scholarships will become increasingly competitive as demand increases. 

Who is more deserving of such scholarships will be analyzed and the review process may have to change requirements to cater towards low-income students. Scholarships from educational institutions are possible, too. Donors have made it possible for students to be unburdened financially. One of the more famous examples would be the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, thanks to Dr. Ruth L. Gottesman’s $1 billion donation. Or closer to home, there is the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, which is tuition-free for accepted students. Again, though, these options are cutthroat and are not long-term solutions to nationwide calamity. 

Despite the turmoil we live in today, it is important not to lose hope, not to lose passion and not to lose sight of who you are meant to become. The radioactive fallout of the OBBB’s passing is something we are meant to overcome, beginning with political activism and awareness. Knowledge is what connects us, and we are not meant to be divided.