AACTE Statement on Student Aid Cuts in the House Reconciliation Bill

(May 1, 2025, Washington, D.C.) — A bill passed this week in a party-line vote of the House Education & Workforce Committee that would make it harder for schools and school districts to fill vacancies for qualified teachers, school counselors, principals, and other essential school personnel.  

The proposed legislation eliminates federal loan programs, restricts existing grant and loan support eligibility and strips critical protections for struggling borrowers. These changes would deepen educator shortages, particularly in high-need areas such as special education, STEM, school counseling, and school leadership—roles that are already difficult to staff in many communities. 

Low-income and first-generation college students will be especially impacted. Research (e.g., Podolsky et al., 2019; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond & Carver-Thomas, 2016) consistently shows that financial barriers are among the top reasons young people choose not to enter the teaching profession. The high cost of earning a degree, combined with the challenge of repaying student loans on a modest educator salary, makes it increasingly difficult for aspiring educators from underserved communities to pursue careers in education. 

While we were pleased that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was retained with only minor changes, other provisions of the bill reduce the amount students can borrow through federal loan programs that qualify for forgiveness, forcing them into the more expensive private student loan market and making it less financially viable to choose a career in education. 

AACTE urges Congress to reject these harmful cuts and to instead focus on policy changes that make it more affordable for students to choose careers in education. Our communities, families, and especially our children, deserve nothing less. 

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About AACTE 

Established in 1948, AACTE is the leading voice in educator preparation. AACTE’s member institutions and programs prepare the greatest number of professional educators in the United States and its territories, including teachers, counselors, administrators, and college faculty. These professional educators are prepared for careers in PK-12 classrooms, colleges and universities, state and governmental agencies, policy institutes, and non-profit organizations. Learn more at aacte.org.