Alongside changes in politics, the President has enacted critical new laws that have the potential to impact your education. Whether you're in high school or college, being aware of the impacts and the implications on your future is what will keep you ahead of the curve and help secure your future. In this article, you'll find 10 recent laws, policies, and restrictions that will affect how your education progresses.

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1) College Admissions

Top schools like Brown and Columbia University have since complied with President Trump's demands, including concessions to his political agenda, to unfreeze funding. However, schools like Harvard continue to resist, leading to the loss of funding for critical programs and research labs.

Unfortunately, if this continues, top schools that do not comply with the Trump administration, and therefore experience funding cuts, will have to be selective of the students they accept. Higher institutions require money to survive, and with the loss of federal aid, we'll see a decrease in students from poor backgrounds and a higher percentage of students who can afford to pay the full quarter-million tuition.

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2) International Students

Trump has made it clear to keep America First through his enactment of the Big Beautiful Bill, which imposed regulations on top schools. Crackdown on immigration and visas has limited international students' chances of getting into top American colleges, leaving current foreign students in disarray.

At Yale, almost 20% of the student body is made up of international students, and Harvard following by at 15%. While this means foreign students' chances of attending an Ivy League school are drastically minimized in the coming years, domestic students have an even higher chance of being accepted.

3) Religion in Schools

According to USA Today, the administration has begun a Christ-centered advocacy for prayer and the 10 Commandments in schools. Application of this mission nationwide is still unclear, but schools in Texas and Louisiana have threatened districts with legal action if they don't comply.

In Texas, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 10, requiring a poster of the 10 Commandments to be posted in school classrooms, and concerns about the infringement of the First Amendment are currently being debated.

4) Expansion of Private Schools

Amongst other things, the Trump administration has increased support for private schools, which led to the federalization of private school voucher programs.

This has led to the Department of Education issuing a letter in March encouraging states to use their Title I funds, traditionally used to support public education specifically for students in poverty, to expand private school voucher programs. In certain areas in the United States, this has led to the shutdown of small rural public schools and the increase of private education.

5) K-12 Funding Cuts

According to AmericanProgress.org, the Trump administration has halted K-12 education funds without congressional approval. Secretary McMahon confirmed this in March, and since then, the administration has rescinded $2.5 billion in COVID relief grants to elementary and secondary school programs. Superintendents nationwide are scrambling after this loss, and in the coming years, this will result in the defunding of even more school programs.

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6) Cuts at the Department of Education

Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order calling for the extermination of the entire DOE, and following the order, the department has started to slowly shut down.

The DOE fired nearly half of its entire workforce, leaving only 2,000 employees responsible for over 50 million school children. For students, fewer staff to ensure upkeep of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability systems means the loss of timely data reporting and efforts to improve academic outcomes and close achievement gaps.

7) DEI Cutback

While federal law prohibits the intrusion of government in public schools, the Trump administration has made changes to how schools address Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Gender Identity. The President eliminated federal support for the inclusion of DEIA and gender identity in K-12 material.

All throughout the country, the US Department of Justice issued guidance on which DEIA programs are now illegal, which include staff training and hiring practices that encourage diversity. These offences can be punishable by the loss of federal funding.

8) Restriction on Student Loans

Approved by Congress in July, the Big Beautiful Bill includes changes to student loan policies, including higher interest rates on loans and debt. Beginning July 1, 2026, graduate students will be limited to only borrowing up to $20,500 per year, an enormous drop from the previous $138,500.

What this means is that students pursuing a field in medicine, law, or other graduate programs will have to end up paying for the majority out of pocket. While this saves the government money, it also means that only people with enough money will be able to afford higher education.

9) Program Cuts

Because of the DOGE program's goal of reducing government waste, leading to the firing of half the DOE, educational programs across the country have also ceased to exist. For example, the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), which rewards students who achieve a high amount of volunteer hours in their community, has been cut. Other programs include Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities (IDEA, Part B-619).

10) Teacher Shortage

The Trump Administration has now priced the H-1B Visa, used by professionals and workers nationwide, at $100,000. For schools in Texas and rural Alaska that regularly employ their teachers through these Visas, they can expect to find a massive shortage of staffing.

Texan and Alaskan school districts, public and charter, may now be planning on switching to a different visa known as the J-1, a cultural exchange program run through the State Department. However, that visa offers no real path to permanent residency, making it less attractive for high-skilled workers unwilling to uproot careers for temporary placements.

In conclusion, the coming years are going to be of great importance, whether you're in high school trying to go to college or you're a college student pursuing law or medicine. For some, it might seem as if all hope is lost because of the shutdown of an essential program you needed, but rest assured, these changes don't have to be permanent.

With enough determination and leadership, you can help create new programs in your community, support a local nonprofit that can serve the same purpose, or create petitions to reverse policies. With this, I hope the best for your educational journey!