Higher Education Proposal Contained Within President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
Dominate Today’s Seante Appropriation Hearing
Overview
Earlier today the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee held a hearing entitled “Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Education (www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/a-review-of-the-presidents-fiscal-year-2026-budget-request-for-the-department-of-education) .” The focus of the hearing was the ability to hear directly from Secretary of Education Linda McMahon the details of the recent release of President Trump’s FY26 Budget, enable members of the Committee to ask the Secretary questions regarding the proposal contained within the President’s recommendations related to the Department of Education, and offering their perspective on those perspective, concerns, and recommendations in relation to the President’s proposal.
Throughout today’s two-hour hearing an overwhelming majority of the conversation focused on proposals related to the President’s proposals related to higher education. In fact, every member of the Subcommittee included inquiries and concerns directed to the Secretary on higher education. Below is an attempt to share a very brief summary of the higher education-realted issues raised and the responses provided by Secretary of Education McMahon.
Opening Remarks by Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member
Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
In her opening remarks Chairwoman Capito expressed concerns with declines in our nation’s standing as the leader in elementary and secondary success – asserting that the system is failing and recommending that more should be done to return control to the states. She noted that she agreed the Administration’s goal of having education decisions made by those closest to students (the States) and that this will help restore and enhance our nation’s test scores and also lead to greater success moving forward in ele-sec and career and technical education pathways.
Turning to higher education, the Chairwoman noted that now is a “pivotal time for our nation’s student loan borrowers,” noting the confusion and illegal promises brought about by the prior Administration. She stated that as a result, one-in-four borrowers is currently in default or late-stage delinquency as of the beginning of May and that only thirty-eight percent (38%) of borrowers are in repayment and current on their student loans. She stated that the Department must work to restore trust with borrower and provide clear information on repayment -so that borrowers are aware of their responsibility to r5epay their loan.
Ranking Member Susan Collins (D-ME)
Ranking Member Collins began her remarks expressing concern with the lack of reporting by the Administration on the current FY25 spending plan and $13 billion in “unallocated” funds. She urged the Administration to provide details on the current year’s budget. She then turned to the President’s FY26 proposal, and began to share her concerns with the dismantling of the Department. She highlighted bipartisan support for Career and Technical education, used it as an example of where the Administration is proposing to move the program over to the Department of Labor against mandates form Congress.
She went on to express concerns with DEI enforcement and the impact that it is having in particular on institutions of higher education. She went on to highlight key cuts including cuts to TRIO, GEARUP, and a redution in the Federal Pell Grant maximum award by $1,700. She said that the cuts in Pell :would have a devasting consequence for our nation’s lowest income students – including those looking to acquire new skills to meet the needs of local employers in in-demand industries.”
Subcommittee Question & Answer
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Full Committee Chair
Full Commitee Chairwoman Collions focused her time on two issues. The first was expressing concerns with the President’s proposed reductions in the TRIO program. The second was support for the proposed addition of Federal Pell Grant assistance – as proposed in the JOBS Act – to be enacted.
Secretary McMahon explained the Administration’s concerns with the current TRIO program – specifically the lack of clarity on the use of the funds by institutions and the legacy aspect of which institutions receive the funding. She stated that IF Congress were to maintain the program, that she would like to address reforms including accountability and new/updated eligilbility procedures. Secretary McMahon offered her strong support for short-term Federal Pell Grant approval and the desire to work with Congress on both issues to find solutions.
Senator Capito (R-WV), Subcommittee Chair
Subcommittee Chairwoman Capito expressed her concerns with the student loan debt portfolio and the need to address student loan repayment, aligned herself with Full Committe Chairwoman Snow’s concerns with the elimination of the TRIO program, and protections for students as the Budget calls for reductions in funding for civil rights even as antisemitism concerns continue.
Secretary McMahon again shared the desire to reform TRIO if Congress chooses to continue to fund it, shared her concerns and efforts on the part of the Department to address student loan borrowers repayment obligations, and a commitment to ensure the protection of students.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Senate Subcommittee Ranking Member
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Senator Durbin used his time to assert that the Administration’s “hollowing out” of the Borrower Defense to Repayment process will be harmful to students and provide unwarranted protections for predatory for-profit intuitions who make up only eight percent of the higher education community but represent over thirty percent of the cohort defaults. He urged to Secretary to maintain the BDR program and enforcement over the sector.
Secretary
McMahon said that student loan repayment is not taking place -and is a problem – across all sectors of the higher education community, including at many universities and that the reason for the lack of repayment is a broader set of concerns including the fact that college costs are too high and that the costs of many programs across all sectors are inconsistent with the future earnings potential of the student/borrower. She went on to highlight the Administration’s policies they are implementing to address the full issue, including FAFSA reforms, and proposal that they are also pursuing to address these issues – again to inform all students.
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA)
Senator Kennedy too focused his line of questioning on the elimination of the TRIO and GEAR UP programs. He asked the Secretary if the ability to more effectively audit the use of the funds allocated may remedy the Administration’s concerns. Kennedy also brough up the Administration’s focus on antisemitism and the withholding of funds at Harvard and other institutions.
Secretary McMahon acknowledged that if Congress were to sustain funding in the programs, that reforms such as those Sen. Kennedy proposed would be very helpful. With regard to Harved, Secretary McMahon stated that instead of choosing to work with the Department to address the concerns they raised and the funds withheld that Harvard chose to sue them.
Senator Jack Reed (R-RI)
Senator Reed also expressed opposition to elimination of TRIO and also major concerns with the reduction in other grant programs. He asked the Secretary why the Trump Administration has not proposed reforms to TRIO and the other programs instead of eliminating them and/block granting them. He noted in Washington that block granting is often the fist step toward program elimination/
Secretary McMahon again stated that if Congress were to continue funding TRIO that key areas of reform would be to look at the instutitons who are provided the grants – noting that ninety-two percent of the funds have gone to the same institutions year after year (no reassessment of allocations) and that in a broader analysis of all federal expenditures that forty-seven cents of every dollar doesn’t reach the student, but instead goes to administrative costs.
Senator Katie Britt (R-AL)
Senator Britt noted that her some state of Alabama is home to the largest number of HBCUs and asked the Secretary to commit to ensuring that funding for these institutions is maintained.
Secretary McMahon stated the Administration’s commitment to HBCUs and said that the funding levels for HBCUs was the same as FY25 funding – meaning no cuts or increases.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Senator Shaheen continued the expression of concern for TRIO.
Secretary McMahon continued to share the same responses.
Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
Senator Mullin delved more deeply into concerns with student loan repayment and the dire circumstances surrounding the need to restore stability to the federal student loan repayment system
Secretary McMahon shared details on how the Department is working to address these very real and important issues.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Full Committee Ranking Member
Full Committee Ranking Member Murray began her remarks by making it clear that abolition of the Department of Education can only occur through Congressional action, before addressing a list of concerns with the Department’s ability to do its jobs with reduced staffing. She noted that the Office of Civil Rights staffing cuts impact not only oversight and protections for students under antisemitism, but are also responsible for other violations by predatory institutions. She asked Secretary McMahon directly if any analysis or study had been conducted by the Administration prior to making such drastic cuts in staff and determining the impact they may have on the Department’s ability to meet it responsibilities. Ranking Member Murray went on to also ask specifically about the OCR review of complaints – noting some 20,000 complaints logged regarding antisemitism related issues.
Secretary McMahon stated that the Department had undergone many internal reviews and assessments. In direct response to the antisemitism complains Secretary McMahon said that the Department had inherited the complaints and that the total number of complaints not responded to is down to 2,500. Moreover, she noted that this was done with fewer staff and also included a concerted effort to timely respond to new complaints, which catching up on the backlog.
Senator Murray openly questioned the update provided by Secretary McMahon and stated that the Department should provide a quarterly report on the issue.
Senator Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Senator Hyde-Smith stated that she was a major proponent of extending Federal Pell Grant eligibility to short-term courses and asked how quickly the Department of Education could begin providing funds to students enrolled in certificate and diploma programs.
Secretary McMahon stated that she was very enthusiastic about starting such a program once it was enacted by Congress. She noted that in her experience workforce certificate and diploma programs are one of the best ways to get students into the economy quickly is through such programs is vitally important. She noted the significant need/demand for skilled worker throughout the country and the lack of supply to adequately meet the demand.
Hyde-Smith also noted her support for the expansion of apprenticeship programs and career and technical education mor5e broadly.
Secretary McMahon shared her enthusiasm, but noted that the Administration and the Department of Education were focused upon taking the 43 or so workforce programs that currently exist to be more efficient and effective through communication with the other Departments and streamlining of control.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Senator Murphy asked Secretary McMahon to help him understand the language contained in a letter from the Department to Harvard requiring that the institution to “end all of their diversity programs” and “instituting viewpoint diversity” in its course offerings across the entire institution. He further challenged the Secretary to show him where the statutory authority for the Department to make such decisions and interpretations was provided in law.
Secretary McMahon noted that on three percent of the professors at Harvard considered themselves to be conservatives – challenging the notion that the instruction taking place at the institution could be balanced given such a large disparity in ideology of the instructors and the impact it cvould have on the curriculum and its delivery. McMahon stated that Title VI of the HEA gave the Department the authority.
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Senator Merkley stated his understanding and belief that the TRIO benchmarks and annual reports Secretary McMahon was suggesting were needed to maintain the TRIO program already existed. He then went on to express his concerns with the rising cost of higher education and asserted that the President’s Budget would only increase these costs.
Secretary McMahon disagreed sharing her perspective that the funding and policy issues the Trump Administration was seeking would reduce costs while improving outcomes.
What’s Next
Tomorrow is yet another busy day with the House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on the same topic – The President’s fY26 Budget taking place in the morning and the Department of Education hosting a “Live Q&A Session” from 1-2 PM tomorrow afternoon
