The SORT — June 11: 40 Million Adults Want College
A new survey finds 40 million Americans are eyeing college but worried about cost, and the House moved one step closer to overhauling the aid programs that pay for it.
Survey: 40 Million Adults Plan College — Cost Is Barrier No. 1
More than 40 million U.S. adults say they plan to pursue higher education or postsecondary training in the next two years, according to a survey reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education on June 9. If that intent turned into enrollment it would more than double today's 19 million students — but over 80 percent of respondents named cost as their primary obstacle, and 67 percent cited difficulty finding the time. Black and Hispanic respondents expressed the strongest intent, at 43% and 39% respectively, compared to 20% of white respondents.
Why it matters: If cost is your concern, free or lower-cost options — community college, employer tuition benefits, and state grant programs — may be closer than you think.
House Committee Votes to End Subsidized Loans, Boost Pell — Bill Not Yet Law
The full House Appropriations Committee voted 34–28 on June 9 to advance the fiscal year 2027 Labor-HHS-Education spending bill, which would eliminate Direct Subsidized Loans for new undergraduate borrowers after July 1, 2027, and add about $15 billion to shore up the Pell Grant program; the maximum Pell award would rise $50 to $7,445. The bill also cuts the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant by roughly 40% and Federal Work-Study by 26%. The proposal still needs full House, Senate, and presidential action to become law.
Why it matters: Subsidized loans don't accrue interest while you're enrolled — if this eventually becomes law, future borrowers would owe more at graduation even as the larger Pell award would help the lowest-income students.
Source: NASFAA
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