The Trump administration released the 2021 fiscal year $4.8 trillion budget proposal which includes efforts to maintain a strong national defense while cutting student loan assistance and funds for the public education system.

President Trump’s new budget proposal could possibly affect the student body here at Bucks.

The new proposal would forgive the remaining student loan balance 5 to 10 years sooner than current repayment plans.

The budget also proposes substantial cuts to the student loan program itself, $5 billion this upcoming year and more than $60 billion over the next five years. This would cause initiatives such as loan forgiveness programs to be dismissed. This could cause student loans payments to increase exponentially.

Students at Bucks seem to all be on the same page, they think there should be an equal opportunity for everyone that wants to take the next step in their education. The people that cannot pay for college out of pocket, are the people this will affect.

Hazel Nguan, 18, said, “Students don’t have much money while they are in school, our lives are very busy. Students deserve financial aid if they need it.”

Anna Nalebaya, 20, a psychology major, believes that this would be unfair. “This is upsetting, especially for community college students,” she said, “Students who come from a lower income are the people that this will affect. Student debt is at an all-time high, I don’t think this will solve the problem.”

According to AAAA.org, outstanding student loan debt is $1.52 trillion in the U.S., making it the second largest form of consumer debt behind mortgages.

Other Bucks student think this could negatively affect someone who is trying to peruse their dreams.

The budget plans to cut funding to the public education system. Forbes reported that Trump’s budget requests $66.6 billion for the U.S. Department of Education, which is a 7.8% decrease from current funding.

President Trump’s budget made plenty of room building a stronger military. He plans for a $459 million increase for the military. Also $18 billion is planned to fund the newly established Space Force.

Many Bucks students do not believe it is necessary to spend so excessive money on a space force and believe the money could go to different causes, such as student loans.

The budget proposal most likely won’t pass through Congress, but as intended, the budget is seen as a blueprint for the Trump administration’s future steps going into the 2020 election.