New data warns 7 percent of California students could be hit by Department of Education funding cuts

College student finance experts TuitionHero analyzed 2022-23 data from the National Center for Education Statistics to identify which states’ students rely most on financial aid and are therefore most likely to be impacted by budget cuts.

In California, there are 3,464,004 students and 240,757 of these receive financial aid from the government, meaning that 7 percent of students could be at risk of losing access to higher education.

Jesse Villanueva, CEO of TuitionHero, said, “Students in high-dependency regions could see much bigger challenges if federal education budget cuts move forward.

“The regional patterns paint a clear picture of Southern states, with generally lower median household incomes, showing high vulnerability. Federal assistance becomes vital for students in these areas who want to access higher education since they typically have fewer backup funding options.

“Besides government funding, students have a variety of other financial aid options open to them. Their options include private scholarships and grants from companies, foundations, and universities that are given to students based on merit, talent, or financial need. Private student loans from banks or credit unions can also help with tuition costs, but they usually need a co-signer and make sure you check the interest rates on these as they can vary.”

Methodology
Data was gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics for the 2022-23 academic year, examining the total number of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions and the number receiving financial aid in each state.

The percentage was calculated to determine relative vulnerability to potential Department of Education budget reductions.

Source
National Center for Education Statistics – Enrollment and financial aid data 2022-23.

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