•  
  •  
 

Florida Atlantic University Undergraduate Law Journal

Advisor

Anita Blowers

College

Business

Keywords

Federal student loans, big beautiful bill act, trump, higher education, Educational equity, Student debt, Loan reform, Income-based repayment, Borrowing limits, Graduate students, borrowers, Education policy, Constitutional law, Debt relief, Equal protection, Educational opportunity

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Significant reforms to federal student loans, as outlined in the Big Beautiful Bill Act, will have a substantial impact on students pursuing secondary education, including loan limits, income-based repayment plans, and the elimination of specific deferment plans. Subsequently, those most affected by these changes will be low-income borrowers, middle-income borrowers, and graduate students. Recent changes to federal higher education loan policies, such as borrowing limits, income-based repayment plans, and elimination of certain deferments, can leave greater economic barriers within education. Although the policy aims to provide debt relief to borrowers, it raises unresolved constitutional questions, particularly regarding the government's responsibility to promote educational equity. This article evaluates the Act’s reforms through the statutory framework of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and relevant case law, including Brown v. Board of Education and Abbott v. Burke, to analyze whether the revisions are consistent with the historical foundations of equitable educational access.

Download

Share

COinS