President Donald Trump’s second term in office has been nothing short of tumultuous. Since January, Trump has already issued a litany of executive orders and used military force to legitimize his power, among other measures, to demonstrate his authority to the country. He’s still not done, though.
On Friday, July 4, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. A highly controversial bill, it seeks to make significant changes, including to taxes, health care, and federal funding. These changes will affect those not from wealthier backgrounds. Low-income communities will be severely hampered by cuts to programs such as Medicaid, which provides health care services to families with not enough money; and SNAP, which provides food stamps to people who cannot afford their groceries.
One group that is poised to be significantly affected is college students. Moreover, a lot of what’s written in this bill will take effect in a year or two, thus putting people’s futures at risk.
“That’s what I’m more worried about personally,” said Derrick Barnes, a 19-year-old rising junior attending American University. “I do have the intention of seeking higher education for a master’s in public policy in law school, but I’m worried that the cost of tuition won’t become any cheaper.” Graduate school is not cheap, costing hundreds of thousands for a two-year program. To alleviate those costs, loans are a method of paying off a portion of tuition.
However, the bill introduces strict borrowing caps: $100,000 for regular graduate school and $200,000 for law and medical school. Caps this low may lead many students to reconsider their plans, ultimately making it more difficult to pay off tuition.
“Prices for medical school are already outrageous,” says Margeaux Morial, a 19-year-old rising sophomore attending Howard University. “People go into so much debt because of it, and unfortunately, when you get out, you don’t get paid that much as a [resident doctor]. Like, you’re working crazy hours, you don’t get paid much, and you struggle to pay that debt back.”
The bill also impacts other facets of people’s lives aside from the finances of college tuition, because it targets health care services. Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare programs will severely cripple families who are seeking medical care due to stricter re-enrolment policies and work qualifications. With these changes, it could potentially make it more difficult for people to find services in mental health as the government is cutting billions in funding.
“It will impact psychology as a field, like therapy or being a counselor, maybe even research,” said Nathaniel Ellis, a 19-year-old rising sophomore attending Temple University. A psychology major, Ellis hopes to work in the field by the time he’s finished with school. However, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare make it hard for people to even afford therapeutic services. As a consequence, there will be less of a demand for therapists due to a lack of affordability.
“People rely on Medicaid for therapy,” Ellis said. “So like, that is going to hurt the field, and it’s going to hurt patients who need therapy, who need support.”
Climate action also takes a hit because clean energy initiatives are stripped of tax incentives in the bill. As a result, clean energy sources like electric power become more expensive, and climate programs may be less effective. Niyea Pollard-Calliste, a 19-year-old rising sophomore at UMass Lowell majoring in environmental science, says the bill’s restrictions on climate action make her future career path more difficult.
“If we’re increasing pollution and increasing fossil fuel emissions, what do we do?” said Pollard-Calliste. “What’s the point of me being an environmental scientist and trying to help and combat what’s going on if all our efforts are not [taken seriously]?”
With the bill proving to more negatively affect certain areas in the country, some students are finding ways to use it as motivation for change.
“I want to get into politics and just things like this motivate me more,” Barnes said. “It just motivates me to be the change that I want to see. And even as a registered Democrat, people on that side aren’t pushing to make the changes that I want to see. So my mentality is, ‘If no one’s going to do it for me, I need to do it for myself.’”
“Well you know, it just shows how much work needs to be done,” said Atticus D’Alessandro, a 19-year-old rising sophomore at George Washington University.
As a political science major, D’Alessandro feels that he must do anything he can to reverse the changes being made. “This is part of the reason I chose to major in political science — it just feels right to be involved somehow. I’m not saying that I’m going to be the next president, but, you know, everyone has a part to play. So if mine, no matter how big or small there is to be done, I’ll do it.”