SPOKANE — Washington State University is worried President Trump’s current spending bill, supported by Representative Michael Baumgartner, could negatively impact students and enrollment.
House Republicans recently passed Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ which includes significant tax breaks, extensive cuts to Medicaid and food benefits and major changes to federal student aid.
The bill proposes caps on graduate student loans and the elimination of subsidized loans, along with changes to the Pell Grant program.
WSU officials say putting a cap on graduate loans would impact students at its Spokane Campus, especially in the college of medicine.
“It takes away the risk from the federal government and puts it back initially, onto the specific institution,” said Glynda Becker-Fenter, Vice President of External Affairs at WSU.
The WSU Board of Regents worries that capping graduate loans and eliminating certain types of student aid could incentivize universities to admit higher-income students, potentially limiting access for lower-income and graduate students.
The bill also includes provisions that could reduce federal Medicaid funding by over $2 billion over the next four years, a change that could impact not only individuals but also rural hospitals and nursing homes in the region.
Despite opposition from local caregivers and healthcare workers, Baumgartner defended his vote, citing the need for Medicaid reform and reduced spending.
“There will still be, with the reforms, more money spent on Medicaid next year than there is this year,” Baumgartner said. “But, Medicaid is a poorly designed program.”
Baumgartner also expressed support for investing in telemedicine and expanding the production of doctors and nurses through local universities like WSU.
The WSU Board of Regents is pleased, however, with the bill’s $1.25 billion for the Research Facilities Act, which would fund infrastructure projects at land-grant universities, including WSU.
The bill is now up for consideration by the Senate.
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