Capping Potential

About this episode

This episode discusses the implications of the new student loan caps under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and advocates for policies that support education accessibility.

Did you know student loans are now capped? Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, 2025, the rules for federal student loans change dramatically starting July 1, 2026: * Lifetime borrowing limit on all federal student loans, excluding Parent PLUS Loans received as a student, to $257,500 ($57,500 as an undergraduate student). * Graduate students: $20,500/year, $100,000 total * Professional programs (law, medicine, etc.): $50,000/year, $200,000 total * Parent PLUS: $20,000 per child, $65,000 total It sounds “responsible,” but it doesn’t lower tuition; it just limits who can afford to keep learning. If you’re wealthy, nothing changes, but if you’re first-gen, working-class, or already stretched thin, these caps hit hard. They’ll stop degrees, not debt. Education is infrastructure. It keeps the middle class alive, and we need policies that open doors, not close them. What We Can Do: * Push to cap tuition, not students’ futures: Support legislation that limits tuition increases at public universities. * Expand Pell Grants and need-based aid: Contact your representatives and urge them to increase federal and state grants so students borrow less. * Reinvest in public…

People in this episode

Host: Michelle Kang

Topics covered

• student loans
• education policy
• tuition caps

Keywords

• One Big Beautiful Bill Act
• federal student loans
• Pell Grants
• tuition increases

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Georgia

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