In July 2025, Congressional Republicans passed, and President Donald Trump signed, a partisan budget reconciliation package that will reshape the American economy and further erode the social safety net. These changes have become effective in July 2026.

The bill includes tax cuts that will primarily benefit wealthy taxpayers and increase racial economic inequality. To partially offset the bill’s costly tax cuts, congressional leadership cut spending by restricting access to and the effectiveness of social safety net programs, limiting support for students pursuing postsecondary degrees, and eliminating incentives to advance innovation in the climate sector.

This brief, How OBBBA is Changing Higher Ed Access for Black Students, examines the significant implications of the 2025 budget reconciliation law for Black students who have pursued or will pursue an education beyond a high school diploma. Overall, these changes make college and graduate education less accessible for Black students by reducing access to federal student loans and increasing the costs of student loan repayment. However, with guardrails and accountability, the law may help Black learners pursue short-term certifications by increasing the affordability of short-term training programs through enhanced Pell Grant availability.

Read it here.