For students like René James, a fifth-year architecture major, financial aid numbers aren’t just abstract statistics — they’re the lifeline that makes attending college possible.

“I entirely rely on financial aid for pretty much everything,” said James, who uses the money to pay for classes, rent and the expensive architecture supplies she is required to provide for herself. “If that aid goes away, I don’t know how I’d finish my degree, let alone pay for the master’s program I’ll need to become a licensed architect.”

The current political climate is shaping a period of uncertainty for students and families across the country in many ways, especially when it comes to the constantly evolving financial aid landscape. 

After returning to the Oval Office in January, President Donald Trump and his administration have issued a series of executive orders and budgetary decisions that have established significant funding roadblocks for higher education. These changes include caps on lifetime and ParentPLUS loans, which allow parents to take out loans in order to help their children pay for college. This has direct implications for higher education, especially for the over 87% of students in the U.S. who receive financial aid, including aid funded by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, program. 

“I would not have been able to attend Northeastern without aid. Even if I did want to do a master’s program right away, I definitely can’t afford that,” said Lawrence Brown, a fourth-year journalism and media and screen studies combined major, adding that with rent going up and his savings running out, “I’m pretty much going to be using every dollar I have.”

Northeastern said in an email to The Huntington News that it is not aware of any students who are experiencing delays in receiving financial aid.

On March 20, Trump signed an executive order that started the process of dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, leaving it operating with less than 50% of its original workforce and fulfilling his campaign promise to return control over education to the states. This move has been met with pushback, including a multi-state lawsuit filed by 19 different attorneys general. The major staffing reductions and the movement of responsibilities to other federal agencies has significantly slowed the financial aid allocation process.  

Notably, the management of federal student aid is expected to shift to the Small Business Administration, or SBA, while civil rights enforcement laws under Title IX and Title VI will likely be moved to the Department of Justice as opposed to being housed in the Department of Education. 

At Northeastern, the impact of federal decisions is compounded by students’ individual financial realities.

Anna-Lucia Christensen, a first-year journalism and communication studies combined major, said her financial aid package — which includes work-study — has been critical in making her college experience possible.

Christensen’s work-study position as a social media ambassador for university recreation is more than just a paycheck — it provides balance, allowing her to work on campus and cut out commuting time. Trump’s new bills have proposed budget cuts to the work-study program. 

“If I had not gotten my financial aid award… I definitely would have gotten a job outside of campus. The work-study program just makes it so much easier, and you’re able to balance everything,” Christensen said. “If it ends up getting cut, it’s really gonna affect my personal life, like, [my] being able to balance my time.”

Christensen’s access to financial aid makes her academic goals attainable. 

“I’ve always wanted to have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, but starting college now… it’s so difficult paying, going to college is such a difficult process,” Christensen said. “So, if given the opportunity, I would love to do my master’s … if my parents can help me out and I can help myself out, I would definitely want to pursue a master’s in the future.”

As a first-generation student, Christensen has to navigate the complexities of financial aid largely on her own. 

“I thought [FAFSA] was very difficult … I did have to rely on other people, like my university counselor [at my high school], to explain a little bit about what it was and how to fill it out properly,” Christensen said. “It just makes you reflect a lot, and you don’t know how to answer half of the things if you haven’t had a person to guide you.”

Her experience mirrors a broader reality many Northeastern students are facing. While a full elimination of the Department of Education requires congressional approval, the current transition process is already disrupting the day-to-day administration of federal student aid programs, including Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans. For the 2024-25 academic year, 19% of the first-years admitted to Northeastern’s Boston campus were Pell Grant eligible. Budget cuts in the federal workforce have resulted in slower processing times and greater uncertainty for families relying on timely aid disbursements. 

In Northeastern Global News’s “Federal Landscape: FAQ,” Northeastern addressed the new budget act signed into law in July 2025, saying it will “affect some aspects of financial aid for the 2026-2027 academic year.”

“The university will continue to seek clarity from state and federal officials on the impact to students and their families,” the FAQ, which is not signed by a spokesperson, reads.

In 2024, Northeastern’s institutional financial aid distribution numbers hit a record high, with the school offering $470 million worth of financial aid and 70% of undergraduate students receiving institutional aid. Institutional financial aid comes directly from Northeastern and will likely be less impacted by governmental shifts. Overall, more than 75% of Northeastern students receive either federal or institutional financial aid.

“Just the fact that Trump is threatening to take this thing away and sort of stop any aid is scary. It makes the future seem really uncertain,” James said. “I do genuinely worry that I won’t be able to afford my master’s.”

In addition to structural changes, recent legislative developments are set to directly affect student aid for the 2026-27 academic year. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law July 4, includes limits on Pell Grant awards, tighter federal student loan caps and reductions in the Federal Work-Study Program and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. 

In a Feb. 12 statement addressed to the members of the university community, Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun emphasized that his administration is working to find answers.  

“We are working tirelessly with the relevant associations in Washington, and with our peer institutions, to safeguard these activities,” he wrote.

Editor’s note: Brown was previously a staff member of The Huntington News.