President Trump just finished his first month in office and the news cycle has not stopped since. He passed over 65 executive orders ranging from immigration, drug trafficking, schools “indoctrinating” students, securing the border, DEI, exiting WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement, to declassification of records among some. He also froze the federal assistance money that will impact students using financial aid and grants, and plans for dismantling the Department of Education.
As of now, President Donald Trump has not acted on this promise, but if he does it could have major repercussions for college students. The Department of Education oversees the Pell Grant and the Free Application for Student Aid or FAFSA. FAFSA is an application for students to fill out to see if they are eligible for federal student aid.
According to the National Center of Education Statistics, 40% of undergraduate students receive federal Pell Grants and 72% of undergraduate students receive some kind of financial aid in the 2019-2020 academic year. At WCU 34% of the students enrolled in Fall 2024 are Pell grant recipients.
“It’s a little concerning because that is how a lot of people are able to afford to go to school and I think it is going to really limit educational opportunities,” Ashely Elliot, a communication student, said.
Neil Wetmore an inclusive education student is worried.
“I have a couple of friends who are scared. I remember my friend’s reaction at the moment he (President Trump) got elected and the general anxiety that they may not have stable financial aid as they had planned,” Wetmore said.
Adam Harp, a political science major, said, “I am not so much concerned for myself as I am for others. I know that other students rely on federally subsidized loans and grants provided by FAFSA.
Jacob Frizzel, a psychology student, believes that FAFSA is a scam and a waste of time and is not concerned about the potential changes.
“I don’t like FAFSA at all. I think it is a scam. I will never sign up for FAFSA. It’s a chance at a grant but it’s mostly loans that you have to pay back,” Frizzel said.
John Piotrowski an Emergency Disaster Management major says that he believes that the Department of Education should be structured differently. The part of the Department of Education that handles FAFSA and student aid should be put into the hands of the Department of Treasury.
“I believe it should not be fully shut down but rather reorganized under the Department of Treasury…I am very concerned about losing funding,” Piotrowski said. “It is something that we have to realize is that many people are reliant on those grants and loans to get through college.”
