How Federal Cuts to Student Supports Could Impact Massachusetts

As Massachusetts takes bold steps to make college more affordable and accessible through initiatives like MassReconnect, MassEducate, and expanded state financial aid, concurrent threats at the federal level risk undermining this progress. Proposed federal budget cuts and policy shifts would dramatically reduce or eliminate critical student aid programs—including Pell Grants, TRIO, Work-Study, and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)—that tens of thousands of Massachusetts students rely on to enroll, persist, and complete their degrees.

These four fact sheets outline the scale of potential harm:

• Pell Grants: Proposals would exclude part-time students and redefine full-time enrollment, jeopardizing aid for up to 58,800 Massachusetts students.

• TRIO Programs: More than $22.9 million in funding across 61 programs would be eliminated, dismantling essential supports for over 20,000 students—especially first-generation and low-income learners.

• Federal Work-Study: An 80% funding cut and cost-shifting to employers would gut on-campus job opportunities for over 23,000 students.

• SEOG: The proposed elimination would strip nearly $30 million in aid from 43,000 of the state’s neediest students.

Together, these cuts would not only increase the financial burden on students and institutions but also place greater pressure on already stretched state programs. As Massachusetts seeks to close equity gaps and build a more skilled workforce, protecting these federal supports is critical to ensuring that no student is left behind.