Erik Estrada
Social Media Editor
As debates around the federal budget grow louder, students at Texas A&M University-San Antonio may wonder how distant policy decisions in Washington could trickle down to their day-to-day lives.
A faculty member who teaches political science says students should pay attention to changes being made at the federal level, as these decisions can directly impact their access to education and financial aid.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Stated on the official White House website, “this order commences a transformation in federal spending on contracts, grants and loans to ensure government spending is transparent and government employees are accountable to the American public.”
Headed by Elon Musk, the agency aims to cut $1 trillion in federal spending.
“The government is not efficient, and there is a lot of waste and fraud, so we feel confident that a 15% reduction can be done without affecting any of the critical government services,” Musk said in an interview with Fox News.
Despite efforts from DOGE to cut back, government spending has increased in comparison with last year.
According to FiscalData.Treasury.gov, federal spending from October 2024 to March 2025 reached $3.58 trillion, marking a 10% increase compared with the $3.25 trillion spent during the same time period the previous year.
One major factor is the growing cost of interest on the national debt. The final monthly treasury statement from the Treasury Department shows that net interest costs totaled $882 billion in fiscal year 2024.
Projections by the Congressional Budget Office predict net interest will total $952 billion for the 2025 fiscal year.
Daniel Braaten, associate professor of political science at A&M-San Antonio, provided insight on where the government spends money and plans to save.
“The vast majority of the federal budget goes to basically four things: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the Defense Department, and that’s probably like 75%, 80% of the federal budget,” Braaten said.
Students who rely on Federal Student Aid should stay informed on potential budget cuts and Trump’s promise to dismantle the Department of Education. He upheld that promise throughout his campaign.
“One thing the Trump administration wants to do is eliminate the Department of Education,” Braaten said. “They’ve tried to do that by cutting the staff and the money it spends. And one of the things the Department of Education handles is the student loan process.”
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics in the 2022-23 academic school year, 65% of undergraduate students attending A&M-San Antonio received financial aid through grants and 41% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.
With a rising national debt, potential department cuts and the cost of college continuing to climb, students at A&M-San Antonio could feel the impact of federal decisions more than they might expect.
“Students should pay attention to what’s happening at the federal level, because even decisions made far away can have real consequences for their education and their future,” Braaten said.
