Messaging Tool to Aid Stakeholder Communications Regarding Fiscal Year 2027 Federal Budget Proposals
In April 2026, the Trump administration released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2027. The proposal includes cuts to critical education access programs as well as $354 million in funds for minority-serving institutions, rekindles last year’s call to eliminate TRIO, and seeks to reduce funding for federal work study and other key sources of financial assistance. Congress will develop its own version of a budget and the executive and legislative branches will negotiate and create a final product. Typically, the White House’s offering goes nowhere. This was the case in the creation of the FY26 budget. However, it provides an important signal of values and priorities. What is clear is that the Trump administration seeks to throttle the nation’s higher education system—one of the country’s greatest engines for economic growth and democracy—limit who has access to knowledge, where knowledge can be created and disseminated, and increase the cost for students to pursue higher education.
In June, the House of Representatives released their own budget proposal, which expands TRIO and GEAR UP, slightly increases the max Pell grant award, and also substantially cuts federal work study and supplemental education opportunity grants.
To support institutions as they monitor the budget process and advocate for the sector’s needs, the Alliance has created a tool leaders can use to map out how elements of proposed policy will impact their operations, programs, and funding. This can help quickly understand figures for the number of students impacted by changes to TRIO, for example, or how a reduction in federal work study funds may affect campus budgeting and planning.
The tool was updated in June 2026 to reflect the House budget proposal.
The intent is for this tracker to aid in storytelling with governing boards, department heads, elected representatives, the local media, and other stakeholders so that there is clear and shared understanding of the potential impact to students, faculty, staff, and institutional budgets.
Open the spreadsheet as a Google doc here. It can be copied or downloaded for local use.
