Congress Could Make Paying for College Even More Complicated
Liam Knox
May 12, 2025
House Republicans proposed sweeping changes to financial aid, federal loans and program cost estimates that could make paying for college more challenging and expensive.
Ask any parent or prospective student and they’ll likely tell you that between opaque financial aid calculations, questions about degree value and the murky student loan system, paying for college is not a straightforward process. Experts warn that if Congress moves forward with new higher education reforms, it could get even more difficult to navigate.
Late last month, House Republicans put forward a plan that would significantly alter how colleges and families calculate cost and put a number of new limits on federal financial aid eligibility. Among other changes, the legislation would create a national college cost estimate by degree program, put individualized caps on federal loans and limit Pell eligibility for part-time students.
Jennifer Zhang, a research associate at the Student Borrower Protection Center, said many of those provisions are going to make a system that’s already difficult to navigate labyrinthine.
