For many college students, paying for school already feels like balancing too much at once, and with the Trump administration’s proposed financial aid cutbacks and the ongoing government shutdown, that balance is becoming harder to maintain.
Two sophomore students, who spoke to The Gazette on the condition of anonymity to protect them from potential issues with their financial aid status and scholarship opportunities, said this semester’s aid process felt slower and more complicated than before.
“Last semester, everything was handled on time,” one of them said. “This time, I had to keep checking and emailing. It was stressful.”
Her friend nodded, saying her aid dropped a little too. “It wasn’t a crazy amount, but still, a few thousand dollars makes a big difference,” she said. “I really thought it was gonna be the same as last year.”
That small difference left them scrambling. One of the students said she’s now trying to get her mom approved for a Parent PLUS loan to cover what’s left. “I gotta tell my mom to apply for a loan now,” she said. “They didn’t cover about $1,300 this time.”
The shift isn’t just about timing; it’s about bigger federal policy changes that started years ago. During Trump’s presidency, several programs that supported low-income students faced funding rollbacks. The administration proposed cutting more than $150 billion from student aid programs over a decade, which included freezing Pell Grant increases and reducing funding for work-study programs.
Although not all of those cuts went through, some of the ripple effects are still being felt today, especially as Congress faces repeated budget stand-offs and shutdowns that delay processing. When the government shuts down, departments like Education and the IRS operate with reduced staff, which means slower FAFSA verifications, delayed refunds, and postponed loan disbursements.
When I talked to someone at the financial aid front desk about what students can do in situations like that, he mentioned a few options. “If the Parent PLUS loan doesn’t cover everything, you can try an alternative loan,” he said. “It’s based on credit, but if you get everything in on time, it should come through before next semester starts.”
She also said that if a parent gets denied for the PLUS loan, students might be able to take out a little more in unsubsidized loans on their own, but it depends on credit and timing. “It depends on the situation”, he said.
With all the changes happening, it’s hard not to feel unsure. Between loan delays, reduced Pell Grant funding, and fewer government workers processing everything, it’s easy to feel stuck waiting and hoping things work out before the new semester starts.
For students like the two sophomores I spoke to, the hardest part is trying to stay focused on school while worrying about money. “It’s stressful,” one said. “You’re trying to do your work and act like everything’s okay, but in the back of your head, you’re wondering if your balance got paid or if your loan went through.”
Right now, all students can really do is stay on top of emails, check in with financial aid, and keep applying for any scholarships they can find. Because at the end of the day, everyone just wants to make sure they can come back next semester.
Christavia Solomon
Christavia Solomon is a junior broadcast journalism major from Dallas, Texas. Christavia writes for the Gazette because she enjoys giving insight into issues, events, or opportunities around Langston. She thinks the work we’re doing matters because everyone should have the luxury of knowing what’s going on on their campus. A hobby Christavia enjoys is recording and editing videos. Christavia can be reached by her student email chsolom@langston.edu.
