LYNNWOOD—Representative Rick Larsen (WA-D02) met with the Edmonds College leadership team earlier this month to hear how President Donald J Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” or what Larsen calls the “Big Ugly Law,” will impact student loan repayment plans.
The President’s spending bill, which was signed into law on July 4, cancels certain student loan repayment plans. In addition to the Department of Education budget cuts and layoffs, this has adversely affected Edmonds College and its approximately 737 students who rely upon federal assistance, the college said, adding that they fear the shift may result in default rates among lower income students which could lead to penalties.
Most of the changes in Trump’s 10-year spending bill will go into effect on, or after, July 2026. The bill, for the most part, does not impact Pell Grants, however. In fact, the bill allocates $10.5 billion to Pell Grants but that funding only stretches for two years. When that funding comes to an end in 2028 Edmonds College leadership said they fear it may lead to a deficit.
Still, Edmonds College President Dr. Amit Singh is encouraging students to pursue these Pell Grants for the time being, in addition to the Washington College Grant which supports eligible Washingtonians (mostly middle or lower class) with college, job training, apprenticeships, or certification funding. The College also plans to bolster financial literacy counseling among other educational programs.
The new requirements for students qualifying for Pell Grants, starting July 1, 2026, are to be enrolled in programs between 150-599 clocked hours for eight to 15 weeks.
55% of U.S. students rely on some sort of federal assistance, The National Center for Educational Statistics reported. Trump’s new bill gets rid of the existing Grad PLUS loan options, caps loans at $100,000, ends income-related repayment plans, ends loan forgiveness programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness, ends deferment related to financial hardships or unemployment, and cancels those enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, among other things.
The loan limit alone has discouraged many students attending expensive universities, or pursuing expensive degrees like aspiring Doctors and Attorneys, from continuing their education, CNBC reported.
Since President Trump took office, he has cut roughly half of the staff in the Department of Education in addition to effectively freezing approximately $7 billion in grant funding for schools that was awarded to support before-and-after school programs, teacher training, and more.
Trump’s administration has also actively cracked down on loan repayment, resuming loan collection from past borrowers, and garnishing wages of those in default.
Other news at Edmonds College – separate to its student loan worries – includes a recent expansion of its financial counseling services. The College will also be introducing a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics four-year program this Fall and introduce a new behavioral health program and nursing program.
The College also told Rep. Larsen earlier this month, that its innovative “hybrid-flex” model (where students can choose either to show up to class in-person or tune in remotely) has been successful at maximizing classroom space and enrollment.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
