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Why Americans Will Get Less Help Paying for College

Jul 1, 2026 · 30 min

As the cost of higher education has soared in recent decades, universities have attracted more scrutiny about the value of a four-year degree.

Now, the Trump administration is taking those questions to the next level with a set of policies that scales back the federal government’s student loan program.

Ron Lieber, who writes about personal finance for The New York Times, explains what the new changes are, and how they might reshape higher education in America.

Guest: Ron Lieber, the Your Money columnist for The New York Times, writes about everything from retirement savings and college tuition to credit reports and taxes.

Background reading: 

Photo: Rachel Woolf for The New York Times

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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