Midterm Elections Could Reshape Funding and Oversight for U.S. Higher Education
Democrats eye control of Congress while state races and ballot measures put college financing and policy under the microscope.
Federal Stakes: Congressional Control and Higher‑Ed Policy
Democrats need to net four seats in both the House and the Senate to win control. If they succeed, they plan to “rein in the administration and try to overturn some of President Trump’s signature policies,” according to Emmanual Guillory, assistant vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education.
Guillory said Democrats are already “clamoring at oversight roles” and could scrutinize the administration’s use of federal grants, its treatment of international students and other actions he claims “just flat out not following the directives of Congress to appropriate funding.”
He expects that, with Democratic majorities, the House and Senate education committees would hold hearings on agreements the administration has used to outsource Department of Education programs to other federal agencies, and would try to reverse the student‑loan limits in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” while raising the minimum Pell Grant for low‑income students.
Guillory cautioned that a Republican president still holds veto power, so many initiatives would need bipartisan packaging to become law.
Tom Harnisch, vice president for government relations at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, stressed that “Control of Congress will matter for higher education funding, student aid, research and oversight of the administration,” but warned that “divided government will make sweeping higher education policy legislation much harder to advance.”
State Ballots and Legislative Races: Direct Impact on Colleges
State and local contests are shaping up to be equally consequential. Harnisch noted that “higher education has a great deal at stake in the November elections—gubernatorial elections in 36 states and thousands of legislative seats on the ballot.”
He added that outcomes will influence “funding levels, student aid, workforce priorities and governing board appointments for years to come.”
In fiscal year 2025, pre‑student appropriations for public higher‑education operating expenses fell 1 percent after a dozen years of growth, according to SHEEO data. Several public institutions have already announced plans for mass layoffs and program cuts.
The election will therefore affect college costs, financial‑aid availability and whether institutions can sustain programs and support services, Harnisch said.
Party control of governors’ offices could shift budget setting, veto authority and appointments to university governing boards. Legislative chambers might also flip, or existing majorities could gain or lose supermajorities that enable veto overrides.
Currently, 39 states have a “trifecta” – one party holding the governorship and both legislative chambers – allowing higher‑education initiatives to move quickly from introduction to enactment, often using model legislation shared by national advocacy groups.
Faculty Union Perspective: Academic Freedom and Public Access
Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, said his organization wants to codify academic‑freedom protections and safeguard research grants. He framed the “central goal” at both state and federal levels as “trying to win free public higher education.”
Wolfson’s union, described as a left‑leaning faculty union, is pushing for these protections amid the broader political battles.
Looking Ahead
With both federal and state contests on the horizon, the midterms could set the trajectory for higher‑education financing, oversight and policy for years to come. Whether Democrats secure congressional majorities or state trifectas shift, the stakes for students, families and institutions remain high.
