The Trump administration has proposed scaling back federal work‑study funding, a program that provides roughly $1 billion in subsidies annually and supports about 700,000 students with part‑time campus and community jobs. The proposal would reduce a long‑standing federal mechanism that campuses and students use to offset costs and remain enrolled, raising immediate concerns among financial‑aid directors and student‑service offices about enrollment, retention, and on‑campus labor capacity. Work‑study has historically enjoyed bipartisan support as a way to help low‑income and first‑generation students stay in school while gaining workplace experience. College leaders warn that cutting the program would force institutions to find new subsidy sources or eliminate positions, compounding affordability pressures and potentially increasing student debt or attrition.