For the first two years, Payton Crump-McHugh received full tuition aid at UMKC. Now a junior in business administration, she’s paying over $2,500 a semester on classes alone.
With the OBBBA now taking effect in the 2026-27 academic year, students have noticed a significant increase in college costs. These changes that tighten Pell Grant eligibility are leaving some students without the support they’ve relied on for years.
“I’m not getting any Pell Grant. I’m not getting any food. I’m paying $750 in rent having to live off campus,” Crump-McHugh said. “I’m working weekends when I would rather hang out with friends. I’m barely going home to see my family because I just can’t afford to take off a weekend.”
Crump-McHugh is a part of the Professional Career Escalators program and has maintained a near-4.0 GPA throughout both high school and college. Despite being accepted to her top-choice school at Loyola University Chicago, she chose UMKC for its affordability and financial aid package.
UMKC Assistant Spokesperson Alyssa Tally said that the institutional aid increased by 4.5 percent from 2023 to 2025, with UMKC students being awarded $79,839,261 in institutional aid.
Samantha Massood, a sophomore in psychology and a first-generation mentor, initially received the maximum Pell award but is also no longer eligible for the 2026-27 academic year. Taking 19 credits this semester, Massood said she struggles to manage her time between school, work, and her personal life.
“Before, I didn’t have to work any jobs because my scholarships paid everything, and I got a little bit of a refund back. So I guess I just didn’t really appreciate the time I had,” Massood said. “With all the classes that I’m taking right now – really like any free time – just automatically goes to my schoolwork.”
Under the revised formula, FAFSA states that students will not be eligible for need-based aid if their Student Aid Index (SAI) is $14,790 or higher.
The estimated cost of attendance increased between 6.7 percent and 15.1 percent for students from 2023-24 to 2024-25.
Graduate and professional students also face new limitations with the removal of Direct PLUS Loans. Students can no longer borrow up to their school’s full cost of attendance – annual loan limits are now $20,500 for graduate students and $50,000 for professional students.
Crump-McHugh said losing Pell Grant eligibility also stripped her Roo Advantage Scholarship, which helped close the remaining tuition gap.
“Everything feels so heavy right now. And on top of everything, feeling very heavy, everything also feels very unaffordable…I feel like I’m always grasping at straws,” Crump-McHugh said. “I’m supposed to be looking at internships, and I can’t even think about an internship because I can’t even take one that’s $15 an hour. I’m not going to be able to pay anything.”
With ongoing concerns, resources like the Financial Wellness Center and the Dr. Raj Bala Agrawal Care Center have helped Massood alleviate financial strain.
“They had so many things that I didn’t realize that they had,” Massood said. “It didn’t feel like it was a shameful thing, which I feel like that’s a big stigma or stereotype of going into a food pantry.”
Courtney Breedlove, a senior studying English and psychology, said she was denied a Pell Grant this year despite having the same income information as before.
Similar to Crump-McHugh, she relied on the Pell Grant and Roo Advantage to cover college costs, and now has to pay out of pocket this year. Breedlove said it’s “hard to come up with funds” alongside managing her heart condition and recent pet surgery fees.
“It has changed the discussion from me taking care of [tuition] myself to how can we take out loans,” Breedlove said. “My parents are both also struggling and cannot afford to help me with my college costs, so it feels like the only option is going into debt.”
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