The Federal Assault on Higher Education: California's Moment to Champion Educational Justice

The Stark Reality of Federal Education Cuts

The federal government is executing an unprecedented dismantling of support for higher education through massive budget cuts, regulatory changes, and executive orders. This November 17th, education leaders, students, and lawmakers will convene at the California Assembly Higher Education Committee to address this crisis that threatens millions of current and prospective college students across California. This isn’t merely another budget discussion—it represents a fundamental shift in the federal government’s commitment to educational accessibility and opportunity.

What makes this moment particularly critical is that these cuts come at a time when California faces profound educational challenges that demand increased investment, not retreat. The state must now develop entirely new strategies to ensure students can still afford to attend and complete college despite the federal government’s abandonment of its educational responsibilities.

The Hidden Crisis: Dual Disadvantage in Education

The article reveals a particularly troubling aspect of our educational system: the existence of what researchers term “dually-disadvantaged” students. These are prospective students who come from low- or middle-income households while simultaneously having little or no family wealth. Our current financial aid system primarily considers income while largely ignoring wealth disparities, creating a fundamentally flawed approach to educational equity.

The statistics are staggering and heartbreaking. Nationally, only 52% of dually-disadvantaged students from low-income, low-wealth households are predicted to attend college, compared to 83% of students from low-income but higher-wealth households. The completion gap is even more alarming—only 20% of dually-disadvantaged students who start college are expected to graduate, compared to 59% of their similarly low-income but higher-wealth peers.

In California, the scale of this problem is immense. Nearly a quarter of FAFSA filers—amounting to 41,730 first-time, in-state students annually—are both low-income and low-wealth. The wealth inequality in our state is even more extreme than income inequality, with the wealthiest households having a net worth estimated at $1.3 million—more than 100 times higher than those near the bottom, whose net worth is about $12,000. This disparity disproportionately affects Latino and Black households, exacerbating existing racial inequities.

Systemic Failures in Financial Aid

Our current financial aid programs are failing these students spectacularly. The Cal Grant program treats two students with the same family income equally, even if one has no wealth and the other has $200,000 in assets. This blindness to wealth inequality perpetuates systemic injustice under the guise of fairness.

The Middle Class Scholarship program, while well-intentioned, has similar flaws. Originally designed to support families whose income was too high to qualify for other aid but who still needed support, the program has evolved to also support low-income students. However, its high asset ceiling of $234,000 limits its ability to target recipients from families with little to no wealth, effectively excluding those who need help most desperately.

A Moral Imperative for Educational Justice

As someone deeply committed to democracy, freedom, and liberty, I view education as the fundamental bedrock upon which these principles rest. The federal government’s retreat from educational support represents nothing less than an assault on the American promise of opportunity for all. Education is the great equalizer—the mechanism through which individuals can transcend circumstances of birth and achieve their full potential. When we undermine educational access, we undermine the very foundations of our democracy.

The concept of “dually-disadvantaged” students should outrage every American who believes in equal opportunity. These students are being failed twice—first by the economic circumstances into which they were born, and second by an educational system that refuses to acknowledge the full scope of their disadvantage. This isn’t merely an educational policy failure; it’s a moral failure of catastrophic proportions.

We must recognize that income and wealth are fundamentally different dimensions of economic disadvantage. A family with modest income but substantial wealth can draw on assets to support educational expenses. A family with the same income but no wealth faces impossible choices between education and basic survival. Our refusal to acknowledge this distinction in financial aid calculations perpetuates intergenerational poverty and denies talented students the opportunity to contribute fully to our society.

Practical Solutions for Transformative Change

The article outlines several promising solutions that California should implement immediately. The proposal for an “access award” specifically targeting dually-disadvantaged students represents exactly the kind of innovative thinking we need. The research demonstrating that a $5,000 supplemental grant could produce 4,590 more graduates per cohort and boost state GDP by $966 million represents not just good educational policy, but sound economic policy. This $208 million investment would yield returns that benefit all Californians through increased economic productivity and reduced social service costs.

Reforming the Middle Class Scholarship to better account for students’ full financial picture is equally crucial. If the program’s purpose is truly to reduce borrowing among low- and middle-class families, then it must target students who lack both income AND wealth to cover college expenses without excessive debt or work hours that undermine academic success.

Additionally, directing funding to institutions that disproportionately serve low-wealth and low- or middle-income students, while providing holistic support services, represents a comprehensive approach to educational equity. Transportation, housing assistance, and adequately funded basic needs centers are not luxuries—they are essential components of educational success for students facing economic hardship.

The Stakes for Our Democracy

The federal government’s abandonment of higher education funding represents more than just a policy shift—it represents a betrayal of America’s commitment to opportunity and mobility. Education has always been the engine of American exceptionalism, the mechanism through which we renew our democracy and strengthen our economy. When we deliberately undermine educational access, we weaken our nation’s future.

California now faces a critical choice: Will we allow federal retrenchment to diminish educational opportunity, or will we rise to meet this challenge with innovation and commitment to justice? The solutions proposed in the article are not just practical policy measures—they represent a reaffirmation of our fundamental values as a society that believes in opportunity for all, not just for those fortunate enough to be born into wealth.

As we move forward, we must remember that educational equity is not a partisan issue—it’s an American issue. The ability of every qualified student to access higher education regardless of economic circumstances is essential to our democracy, our economy, and our moral standing as a nation. The federal government may be retreating from its responsibilities, but California must advance—for our students, for our economy, and for the soul of our nation.

This moment demands courage, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to educational justice. The future of millions of students—and the character of our democracy—depends on getting this right.