There has been a fury of panic over the last several weeks as students and families received the news of federal funding freeze. Students all over Reddit were having meltdowns fearing they would not be able to finish college without this funding. That is not the case.
Here’s what we know about federal funding freeze
The White House released a Q&A memo on Tuesday afternoon clarifying the order will not impact federal student loans.
“Is this a freeze on benefits to Americans like SNAP or student loans?” the document reads.
“No,” it continues, “any program that provides direct benefits to Americans is explicitly excluded from the pause.” The Q&A document also clarifies Pell Grants “will not be paused.”
According to a news source who quoted Department of Education spokesperson Madi Biedermann, the funding pause “only applies” to discretionary grants, which are awarded through competitive processes. The temporary pause does not impact Title I, IDEA, or other formula grants, nor does it apply to Federal Pell Grants and Direct Loans under Title IV [of the Higher Education Act],” Biedermann said. “The Department is working with OMB to identify other programs that are not covered by the memo.”
Title IV of the Higher Education Act encompasses most federal aid programs, such as the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program; the Federal Pell Grant Program; the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program; the TEACH Grant Program; the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant Program; and the Federal Work-Study Program.
Federal Student Aid later released a public statement telling students their funds “are not frozen.”
What struck me the most about the panic
I’m not sure what fueled the panic. Perhaps it was the media. Perhaps it was the ambiguity in the original wording of the executive order.
But no amount of reassurance seemed to help, even after the statement was released clarifying their funds were not in jeopardy of being frozen. They still fear they will lose their funding. It was clear that many students rely on these federal funds to pay for college. Without these funds, their education would not be funded.
Perhaps some things need to change:
- College could be more affordable and your college choice should be the best financial fit.
- Students should apply to colleges that provide more merit aid and institutional grants, eliminating the need for federal funding.
- Students should make applying for scholarships a priority.
- More students should consider the trades as an option.
- Panicking never helps anyone; it only spreads more panic—get the facts