How Trump’s policies are destroying the American Dream of higher education

By Mai E.L

Americans love rags-to-riches stories. We root for underdog characters who climb the socioeconomic ladder and chase the American Dream in some of our most beloved books and movies. Now, that dream is being slashed by President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill in one fell swoop, as policies lower the lifetime cap for graduate student loans, making it much more difficult to earn an advanced degree. 

From 1995 to 2017, graduate school debt increased tenfold, climbing to $94,141 on average among federal borrowers, according to the Education Data Initiative. That number is much higher for PhDs and degrees from private universities. Under Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, the lifetime cap for non-professional graduate loans is $100,000. About one in five master’s students borrow above that proposed limit, according to Preston Cooper at the American Enterprise Institute.

Although the prerequisites to be eligible for graduate education have shifted, one requirement remains: money. The cost of education has inflated in recent years, but resources for low-income students have also increased. Graduate students can currently borrow up to the cost of their graduate program. By July 2026, that won’t be the case. President Trump’s recent legislative actions have compromised the accessibility of higher education for working-class learners, effectively keeping the poor poor.

The BBB was signed on the 249th birthday of the United States, a nation originally built on hard work and education. While the stated goal of this policy is to push colleges to match their tuition to the lowered loan cap, the true consequence will be that students who rely on loans to pay tuition will be left behind.

Trump, a man known for opening up his playground of politics to the rich, is now pursuing policies that will trap Americans in a generational cycle of poverty. Without intervention, we can rest assured that the American dream will soon be dead.