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On July 4, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act<\/a>, also known as H.R.1, a sweeping spending and tax bill championed by President Donald Trump, was signed into law<\/a>. In its nearly 1,000 pages, the bill includes<\/a> major tax cuts, reductions to Medicaid<\/a> and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program<\/a>, an increase in border and defense spending, several changes to student loan policy and more. Adjustments made to student loan programs is of particular relevance to the University of Michigan community. These changes include<\/a> an expansion of Pell Grant<\/a> eligibility, modifications to repayment plans and new borrowing limits on student loans. The Michigan Daily spoke with U-M community members to hear their views on how H.R.1 impacts student loans.<\/p>\n H.R.1 expanded eligibility for Pell Grants, which are intended for students from low-income households, to include students attending shorter-term certificate programs, such as trade schools. This change was originally introduced <\/a>by the Committee on Education & Workforce<\/a> in 2023 as the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act<\/a>. In an interview with The Daily, Jeremy Wright-Kim, Education assistant professor who works in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education<\/a>, said the change could provide new opportunities for students while also benefitting labor markets.<\/p>\n \u201cThese shorter-term certificate programs are good if your local labor market needs to fill that need,\u201d Wright-Kim said. \u201cThere are also students who are more likely to be attracted to those programs, like working adults who maybe can\u2019t attend a full-time, longer-term credential program.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n