Policy shapes how people access college and what it takes to stay there. We want to hear from students and borrowers navigating that firsthand. buff.ly/eQsjOHF

graphic with the title "Students who meet SNAP Student Exemption VS Students Who Receive Benefits." A graph shows that while 4.5 million students meet the SNAP income threshold, only 3.3 million meet the additional exemption criteria and only 1.1 million ultimately receive benefits. The TICAS logo is in the bottom right hand corner.

Last summer, Congress expanded SNAP work requirements in H.R.1, which will make it harder for some to access benefits. Our new brief offers recs to improve student access to SNAP, reducing long-term reliance on SNAP, & modernizing it for the 21st century. buff.ly/qUcaGcS

Last summer, Congress expanded SNAP work requirements in H.R.1, which will make it harder for some to access benefits. Our new brief offers recs to improve student access to SNAP, reducing long-term reliance on SNAP, & modernizing it for the 21st century. buff.ly/qUcaGcS

Today Congress passed a delayed #FY26 spending bill, which includes funding for ED, rejecting proposed cuts to key #HigherEd programs in the president's FY26 budget proposals. This signals lawmakers’ strongest commitment yet against dismantling ED, though additional action is needed. buff.ly/LVQEgU8

Arizona State navigates financial aid pitfalls of California expansion ASU is seeking Cal Grants for students in Los Angeles and online in California. State financial aid officials say it doesn’t qualify.

With CA policymakers weighing new petitions for #CalGrants, TICAS' Manny Rodriguez stresses the importance of setting rules and limitations before offering these grants to out-of-state colleges and institutions. Read more here: buff.ly/nL4wFxu

Students are doing their part. The systems around them aren’t. Share your story to help push for better policy. buff.ly/eQsjOHF

It takes just a minute to contact your Members of Congress to #stopthatSNAPshift through the FRAC Action Network. Urge them to repeal harmful SNAP cost shifts to states in H.R. 1 as they work on a fiscal year 2026 appropriations package. Take action:

Collection Efforts For Student Loans Are Now Halted For Some Borrowers — 5 Key Takeaways The Education Department has suspended certain collections efforts for student loans, giving borrowers some breathing room. Here's what it means for borrowers.

Collections for some student loan borrowers are on hold, but as we warned, “ED is not well prepared to smoothly transition borrowers into other plans.” Find out more here: www.forbes.com/sites/adammi...

Trends in Private Loan Borrowing Among Graduate and Professional Students - The Institute for College Access & Success Since the Great Recession, the federal government has originated the vast majority of student loans, offering better terms, stronger protections, and more benefits to borrowers than private…

2/2 Explore more below:
▶️ Fact Sheet: buff.ly/jPvfaWA
▶️ Borrower FAQ: buff.ly/lChhDHv

1/2 Since the Great Recession, most graduate borrowers have taken out federal loans, which come with stronger protections and lower risks than private loans. But the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s new loan limits may push more graduate students to take on riskier private loans.

As Congress works to keep the government funded after the January 30 short-term CR expires, lawmakers must repeal the harmful SNAP provisions in H.R. 1 must be front and center in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process. Take action: buff.ly/czD6ZcT

Merkley, Whitehouse, Warren, Kaine Sound the Alarm Over Trump Administration’s Plan to End Affordable Student Loan Repayment Program - Merkley Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Rhode Island’s U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Massachusetts’ U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Virginia’s U.S. Senator Tim Kaine today led…

TICAS applauds members of the Senate for their efforts to provide clarity for borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan. These efforts support income-driven plans, keeping payments manageable, and preventing unnecessary financial hardship for borrowers across the country. Read more here: buff.ly/ANiOacx

Trump administration's delay on student loan collections offers borrowers time to get current It's uncertain how long the Trump administration pause on student loan collections will last. In the meantime, borrowers should move quickly to get current.

In response to the Dept of Ed's announcement last week, TICAS' Michele Zampini told CNBC, "This will give borrowers a fighting chance at getting their loan into good standing, enrolling in a more affordable repayment plan, & protecting their hard-earned wages from garnishment." buff.ly/QnEXoYb

This year's New York Gov.’s 2027 executive budget continues to prioritize #HigherEd for New Yorkers. We look forward to working together to ensure higher education opportunities are accessible and affordable across the state. buff.ly/qpacQzp

"In contrast to the deep cuts and program eliminations proposed to Congress by the White House, this bill reflects an important bipartisan, bicameral commitment to existing federal support for students and the long-standing, effective higher education programs that serve them." - Jessica Thompson, Interim President/Executive Vice President at The Institute for College Access & Success

Today, Congress released a bipartisan, bicameral bill for FY26 that maintains essential #HigherEd funding. We urge them to reaffirm the Ed Dept's standing and ensure future bills include much-needed increases for #FinAid, especially #PellGrants. Read more: buff.ly/y3m2LCg

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by continuing the fight for equity, justice, and access in #HigherEd.

Students are doing their part. The systems around them aren’t.

Share your story to help push for better. buff.ly/e7PNqIO

Our recent data confirms why this delay is so important for borrowers, with more than 4 in 10 borrowers (45%) reporting making tradeoffs between loan payments & covering their basic needs.

"Given the ongoing upheaval in student loan repayment options, this will give borrowers a fighting chance at getting their loan into good standing, enrolling in a more affordable repayment plan, & protecting their hard-earned wages from garnishment."

As you likely saw, the Dept of Education just announced it would delay the implementation of involuntary collections on federal student loans. TICAS' Michele Zampini, AVP, Federal Policy & Advocacy, issued the following statement in response:

Student loan news is everywhere, and it's a lot to take in. Here is what borrowers actually need to know, with resources that are easy to understand.
▶️ Resources for Borrowers: buff.ly/eZVHBnc
▶️ Survey Findings: buff.ly/Inexmhd

At the second and final AHEAD Committee negotiated rulemaking session, the Dept. of Ed reached agreement on proposed earnings accountability and transparency metrics for Title IV programs. Read our full recap with IHEP here: buff.ly/FGms9hK

TICAS’ Michele Zampini spoke with CBS News about wage garnishment, the end of the SAVE plan, and what student loan borrowers should look out for in 2026.

Watch more here: bit.ly/3Z8Gjdc

New Year, New Playbook from our MI team. We'll continue to anchor our work in access, affordability, & success in our policy priorities. Our goal with our policy priorities is for prgms & systems statewide to adopt more student-centered solutions. buff.ly/GUQ0PKV

Policy shapes how people access college and what it takes to stay there. We want to hear from students and borrowers navigating that firsthand. buff.ly/eQsjOHF

With federal impacts set to affect Californians, @governor.ca.gov's 26–27 proposed budget includes solid investments for #CA students. We look forward to working together to advance equity, support student success, and strengthen affordable, accessible #HigherEd. buff.ly/62hqoix

TICAS' Michele Zampini spoke with The Columbus Dispatch about the end of the SAVE plan, saying, "Hopefully the department doesn't make borrowers move out of SAVE before the new IDR is set up; it could create a lot of backlogs." Read more here: buff.ly/pbenHAW

ED Panel Kicks Off Accountability Talks Department officials say they are creating a level playing field. Advocates and committee members say they are leaving students vulnerable.

The Dept of Ed plans to end the debt-to-earnings test in the current #GE rule. TICAS' Christopher Madaio says the Dept should evaluate programs’ debt-to-earnings ratios & have schools disclose which programs fail so students can make informed choices. buff.ly/1skvNfb

When asked about student loan default, TICAS's Interim President & Executive VP, Jessica Thompson, says the biggest risk factor across the board is those who started school but didn't complete & were unable to get the return on the investment. More here:

If You’re Struggling With Student Loans, Here’s What to Know for 2026 Millions of borrowers who are behind can expect the government to tighten repayment options this year. Experts say take action now to get help.

With our recent survey showing that nearly half of borrowers are making trade-offs of loan payments & basic needs, our AVP Michele Zampini says, “We are concerned that people are not going to be able to afford their payments.” More from @nytimes.com here: