Update on Federal Budget Advocacy Efforts

Dear Faculty and Staff,
 
Welcome to the 2025–26 academic year. There’s something truly special about this time of year – welcoming new students, greeting familiar faces, and feeling the renewed energy that fills our campus. These moments remind us of the vibrant community we share and the important work we do. While we mark the start of a new year, we must also remain focused on the broader forces shaping higher education and our ability to serve students.

As many of you know, we have been closely monitoring the federal budget process, particularly as it relates to funding for higher education. Currently, the FY2026 budget sits with the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, which has postponed a vote until after the summer recess, which extends through August.

Although final budget language is not yet available, the current proposal includes several deeply concerning provisions that could significantly affect our students, programs, and research activities. These include:

• Cutting the maximum Pell Grant award from $7,395 to $5,710, rolling it back to the level of a decade ago;
• Severe reductions to the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program;
• Elimination of the TRIO and GEAR UP programs;
• Elimination of the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG); and
• Reductions in research funding from NASA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

In response, we continue to advocate on behalf of our University community, including submitting letters to members of California’s delegation on the Appropriations Committee. You’ll find a sample letter here for reference.

If you are interested in becoming more involved, we encourage you to contact your Congressional representatives—especially those on the Appropriations Committee—and urge them to reject these cuts and protect these vital programs.

This is a critical moment for higher education.  Thank you for staying informed and involved.

Sincerely,

Krista L. Newkirk
President

Sample Letter:

Date

The Honorable [First Name] [Last Name]
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20515

Subject: Student Aid Programs Under Threat in the Budget Reconciliation Package

Dear [Congressman/Congresswoman Last Name]:

My name is [Your Full Name], and I serve as a [faculty/staff] member at the University of Redlands in California. I write to express our strong opposition to the proposed cuts to federal financial aid and student support programs in the president’s FY 2026 budget.

As someone who works closely with students, I urge you to consider the devastating impact these proposals would have on them, the institutions that serve them, and their ability to enter careers in high-need fields that are essential to our communities and economy.

[Personalize your letter here: what you do at U of R, ways your work directly impacts students and the community.]

I respectfully urge you to reject the following harmful proposals:

Elimination of the Grad PLUS Loan program
Grad PLUS Loans are integral to workforce production in high-need fields that require a graduate degree, such as nursing, physical therapy, mental healthcare and counseling, teaching, and social work. These academic programs tend to be intense, making it difficult to balance work and school. Many students rely on Grad PLUS loans to fund living expenses while in school. The nation has a shortage of workers in these fields, so cutting Grad PLUS loans would have not only a negative impact on higher education but also on workforce production. The elimination of Grad PLUS would push students to take out private loans, which would be more expensive for them and add to the student debt crisis. In 2024, the Graduate PLUS loan assisted more than 146 graduate students with over $3.8M in paying their educational costs.

“Reform” of the Pell Grant
The Pell Grant is critical to creating access and educational pathways for underserved students, but has been underfunded for far too long. The Pell Grant is a well-known and proven program that is a cost-effective and equitable way to support students in all sectors. It allows students to find their “best fit” institution. There have been proposals to “reform” the Pell Grant to have it based on the median cost of the program instead of a set amount, determined by income. The Pell Grant has had long-standing, bipartisan support since its inception. Congress and both the Trump and Biden Administrations have made great strides in increasing the Pell (by $900) and supporting student access in recent years. It would be harmful to our nation to turn our back on those proven efforts. When it was created, the award covered three-quarters of the cost to attend college, but due to stagnation in the growth of the program compared to national interest rates, the awards now cover less than one-third of the average cost to attend. The Inland Empire struggles with college attainment, and 47% of our students are first-generation college students. A strong and stable Pell program will help make higher education more affordable, reduce student debt, and help meet students’ basic needs. In short, for many, this program has been a fundamental part of them achieving their American dream.

The University of Redlands has worked tirelessly to reduce the average cost of tuition that students pay. In fact, our students pay less in average tuition costs now than they did ten years ago, not even including inflation. Over 950 of our students rely on the Pell Grant, and the University committed over $75,000,000 in scholarships and grants last year to make the cost of obtaining a Redlands degree affordable for our students. We have skin in the game, and we ask that the federal government work to not only preserve this critical program but also enhance it.

Elimination of Federal Work-Study and SEOG
Over the last few years, there have been efforts to cut or eliminate Federal Work-Study (FWS) and the Supplemental Educational Opportunities Grant (SEOG). That is now being considered again as part of the Reconciliation package. Without the FWS and SEOG, students will be forced to borrow money—adding to loan debt—or they will drop out of college. These students are working hard to graduate on time, and both they and the University have a vested interest in their success. In recent years, the rhetoric against higher education and the value of a college degree has hit a fever pitch. Besides the political discourse, we are concerned about policymakers and even families now questioning the value of higher education.

Cutting research grant funding from NASA, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation
Although the University does not presently receive grants from these agencies, we have grants from numerous federal agencies and, unfortunately, have received notices of grant terminations and non-continuations from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education. The University has lost over $4M in funding over four years from the loss of one of these grants alone. That funding would have been used to increase credentialed mental health service providers with skills specific to the needs of K-12 students in schools in the Southern California region.

Taken together, these provisions would make college less affordable, reduce opportunities for students in all fields, especially students from underrepresented backgrounds, and weaken institutions like mine that are leading the way to educate the next generation workforce while strengthening local communities and the broader economy.

In my role, I see firsthand the lifelong value of education—for students, their families and communities, and our state. It is an investment that is well worth the hard work and support it requires.

I urge you to oppose these harmful measures and work to ensure that federal policy does not undermine but supports college access, affordability, and opportunity.

Sincerely,

[Your name]