UNIVERSITY students are set to drop out of school or ditch loan payment plans altogether as part of a mass revolt sparked by new laws.
It comes after Donald Trump‘s One Big Beautiful Bill Act – which includes several huge changes to the federal student loan program.
Students have revolted against new university loan measures[/caption]
Starting from the 2026-27 school year, a barrage of systems are set to change.
Firstly, borrowing caps will be updated for medical and law students.
Grad PLUS loans are also being discontinued.
And fundamental changes will hit income-driven repayment plans.
The new legislation has hundreds of thousands of college students reeling – with many rethinking their college plans altogether.
According to a new study, over a third of students are now looking into cutting back on schooling, and 32 per cent are weighing up pursuing a different degree because of the changes.
The survey, conducted by U.S. News, involved 1,190 students and questioned them through PureSpectrum.
Most college students fear they’ll be hit hard by the new budget laws, with 61 per cent saying they’ll be personally affected.
Only 20 per cent reckon they’ll dodge the impact, while 19 per cent admit they don’t know what’s coming.
A third, around 32 per cent, say they’ll feel the pain from the scrapping of repayment options, including the Biden-era SAVE Plan.
When it comes to actually understanding the changes, just one in five say they fully get it.
Almost the same number, 19 per cent of those polled, admit they don’t understand the shake-up at all.
Another 39 per cent say they only understand it “somewhat,” while 22 per cent don’t know how the law will hit them.
Half of students reject the law’s changes outright.
And support for any of the specific changes was never greater than 20 per cent.
Just a fifth back moves like borrowing caps or scrapping income-driven repayment schemes.
On top of this, 35 per cent are weighing up cutting back on schooling, 31 per cent may finish abroad – and 26 per cent are considering the military to pay for school.
First-gen students are hardest hit, with 45 per cent saying they may quit early and 44 per cent thinking of switching majors.
One student said: “I’m thinking about not finishing law school.”
While another commented: “I wanted to go to medical school, but now I won’t.”
A third put it bluntly: “Honestly, I’m cooked.”
The changes come as millions of Americans are putting their student loans on the back burner as a form of protest or simply because other financial responsibilities, like food and housing, are more pressing.
One student loan borrower, Stephen Jakubowski, a 32-year-old from California, has been choosing to ignore his $10,000 federal debts for years.
Americans have racked up approximately $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, with students once again forced to make payments after five years of leniency efforts from the federal government that started during the pandemic.
Millions are refusing to pay back loans[/caption]
