HBCU Money Guide
HBCU Money Guide
Will Spelman Shift in the Wake of the Big Beautiful Bill? How The Spelman Community is Preparing for Change
Will Spelman Shift in the Wake of the Big Beautiful Bill? How The Spelman Community is Preparing for Change
President Donald Trump’s signing of H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has been a point of much contention as both sides of the political aisle brace for a slew of changes to taxes, commerce, and distribution of federal funds. The latter has been at the forefront of many campus conversations, as colleges and universities prepare to navigate new shifts in federal funding of education.
H.R.1, signed into law on Jul. 4, 2025, implements several changes to federal student loan programs. These include revisions to Direct PLUS Loan policies, with the full termination of Grad PLUS loans and restriction of Parent PLUS Loan limits-per-student to $20,000 annually with a lifetime limit of $65,000.
Additionally, students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) equivalent to twice the total maximum and those who have received the cost of attendance in aid from nonfederal sources will be ineligible for Pell Grants. These changes will take effect on Jul. 1, 2026.
The legislation also rules that borrowers will have until Jul. 1, 2028, to enroll in the Standard Repayment, RAP, or IBR, as the popular SAVE, PAYE, and ICR loan repayment plans will be terminated as well.
The notion held by some that private institutions like Spelman College will remain unimpacted by federal shakeups to education is no longer true, as many community members express uncertainty and anxiety about what is to come. As for first-year Spelmanites, their time within the gates will be marked by a redefinition of how the federal government interacts with and creates access to education.
“I feel cautious about the H.R.1 policies because they could limit access and opportunities for students like me,” Carmen Walker, a first-year Biology major, said. “My peers are also concerned and talk about how it may change our experience at Spelman. I see it possibly making resources harder to access and shifting how we engage politically.”
Walker expressed the hope that the ensuing political tension would raise even more awareness about the importance of civic engagement and organizing.
“Education access is already a challenge for many students of color, especially black students, and I believe that policies like this risk widening existing gaps,” Walker said. “It makes it even more important for us to speak up and protect our opportunities for future students.”
Blair Brock, a first-year political science major, aspires to become a politician and influence bills such as these. As a student who receives aid through federal loans, she says that she and her peers are feeling similar tensions.
“I am genuinely scared knowing that Spelman, you have to pay a pretty coin for it,” Brock said. “Coming from a family that is a bit on the poorer side, it really is frightening. It was so uncomfortable knowing that I will probably have to join the military to forgive my student loans after college.”
She also discussed how the affordability of Spelman will play into campus culture, as many current and interested students will have less access to federal aid to pay for Spelman.
“There are a lot of people, a lot of my peers, who are really struggling. It’s saddening because, you know, they want to go to this dream school but they don’t have the money to,” Brock said. “I do want to recommend applying for a lot of scholarships, and hopefully, it will get better and hopefully Spelman is on it for this year. I hope they formulate some type of plan for students who are struggling.”
Helena Kindred, Student Loan Officer at Spelman College, says that there have been preliminary discussions about how Spelman’s administration will work to create more options for students to finance their education.
“We don’t know a lot of what will happen next year. We know that they are talking about a cap on the Parent PLUS Loan, so students probably will be using more private loans,” Kindred said. “We had a meeting today where we were talking about putting more loan lenders out there for students.”
She also said that many conclusions will not be reached until the next cycle of FAFSA submissions.
“[Interim President Rosalind Brewer] was suggesting that we try to reach out to some of the lenders, the local banks,” she said. “I know they’re working on different options for students. The alumni, they know what’s happening too. Hopefully, they can step in and help students who need it.”
She, along with the students, expressed the important role that private loans and scholarships will play in helping Spelmanites finance their education.
“We’re going to look at some other ways. We have a scholarship office that helps students with the gap, but they also have to go out and apply. So students need to start preparing to fill those out so we can start looking at their aid for next year,” Kindred said.
With the Big Beautiful Bill on the rise, questions remain about how scholarships, alumni support, and private loans will fill the gap for Spelmanites. The answers will shape not only how students navigate the present times of their educational journey, but also how the institution defines their future for its students.
President Donald Trump’s signing of H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has been a point of much contention as both sides of the political aisle brace for a slew of changes to taxes, commerce, and distribution of federal funds. The latter has been at the forefront of many campus conversations, as colleges and universities prepare to navigate new shifts in federal funding of education.
H.R.1, signed into law on Jul. 4, 2025, implements several changes to federal student loan programs. These include revisions to Direct PLUS Loan policies, with the full termination of Grad PLUS loans and restriction of Parent PLUS Loan limits-per-student to $20,000 annually with a lifetime limit of $65,000.
Additionally, students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) equivalent to twice the total maximum and those who have received the cost of attendance in aid from nonfederal sources will be ineligible for Pell Grants. These changes will take effect on Jul. 1, 2026.
The legislation also rules that borrowers will have until Jul. 1, 2028, to enroll in the Standard Repayment, RAP, or IBR, as the popular SAVE, PAYE, and ICR loan repayment plans will be terminated as well.
The notion held by some that private institutions like Spelman College will remain unimpacted by federal shakeups to education is no longer true, as many community members express uncertainty and anxiety about what is to come. As for first-year Spelmanites, their time within the gates will be marked by a redefinition of how the federal government interacts with and creates access to education.
“I feel cautious about the H.R.1 policies because they could limit access and opportunities for students like me,” Carmen Walker, a first-year Biology major, said. “My peers are also concerned and talk about how it may change our experience at Spelman. I see it possibly making resources harder to access and shifting how we engage politically.”
Walker expressed the hope that the ensuing political tension would raise even more awareness about the importance of civic engagement and organizing.
“Education access is already a challenge for many students of color, especially black students, and I believe that policies like this risk widening existing gaps,” Walker said. “It makes it even more important for us to speak up and protect our opportunities for future students.”
Blair Brock, a first-year political science major, aspires to become a politician and influence bills such as these. As a student who receives aid through federal loans, she says that she and her peers are feeling similar tensions.
“I am genuinely scared knowing that Spelman, you have to pay a pretty coin for it,” Brock said. “Coming from a family that is a bit on the poorer side, it really is frightening. It was so uncomfortable knowing that I will probably have to join the military to forgive my student loans after college.”
She also discussed how the affordability of Spelman will play into campus culture, as many current and interested students will have less access to federal aid to pay for Spelman.
“There are a lot of people, a lot of my peers, who are really struggling. It’s saddening because, you know, they want to go to this dream school but they don’t have the money to,” Brock said. “I do want to recommend applying for a lot of scholarships, and hopefully, it will get better and hopefully Spelman is on it for this year. I hope they formulate some type of plan for students who are struggling.”
Helena Kindred, Student Loan Officer at Spelman College, says that there have been preliminary discussions about how Spelman’s administration will work to create more options for students to finance their education.
“We don’t know a lot of what will happen next year. We know that they are talking about a cap on the Parent PLUS Loan, so students probably will be using more private loans,” Kindred said. “We had a meeting today where we were talking about putting more loan lenders out there for students.”
She also said that many conclusions will not be reached until the next cycle of FAFSA submissions.
“[Interim President Rosalind Brewer] was suggesting that we try to reach out to some of the lenders, the local banks,” she said. “I know they’re working on different options for students. The alumni, they know what’s happening too. Hopefully, they can step in and help students who need it.”
She, along with the students, expressed the important role that private loans and scholarships will play in helping Spelmanites finance their education.
“We’re going to look at some other ways. We have a scholarship office that helps students with the gap, but they also have to go out and apply. So students need to start preparing to fill those out so we can start looking at their aid for next year,” Kindred said.
With the Big Beautiful Bill on the rise, questions remain about how scholarships, alumni support, and private loans will fill the gap for Spelmanites. The answers will shape not only how students navigate the present times of their educational journey, but also how the institution defines their future for its students.