Student Life & Campus — 2026-05-03
The Trump administration finalized sweeping federal student loan rules this week, capping graduate borrowing and launching a new repayment plan effective July 1, 2026. TikTok launched a new "Campus Hub" feature to connect college students through personalized feeds and group chats. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education formally published its landmark rule to lower college costs and simplify repayment options.
Student Life & Campus — 2026-05-03
Campus News
TikTok Launches "Campus Hub" for College Students
TikTok unveiled a new "Campus Hub" feature this week, introducing college group chats and personalized campus feeds. Users will see a feed that surfaces a mix of content posted by verified students alongside content related to their university, allowing students to stay plugged into campus life. The feature includes verified student accounts to help distinguish authentic campus content from general posts.
College Admissions Week in Brief
This week's college admissions landscape includes developments around FAFSA changes, legacy admissions investigations, and early decision trends — all of which families planning for the 2026–27 cycle are navigating closely.
Student Life
High School Seniors Reconsidering Four-Year College
A recent survey found that 56% of high school students who said they aren't considering a four-year college agreed that "the best path forward for me is not to attend a four-year college or university, regardless of the cost." Socioeconomic class and family income significantly influence post-secondary decision-making across all demographics. One notable development that may ease anxiety for fence-sitters: the new federal Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), launching July 1, 2026, offers income-based payments as low as $10/month and forgiveness after 30 years for new borrowers.
Money & Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Graduate Loan Caps
The Trump administration formally finalized new federal student loan rules this week. The final rule keeps a narrow definition of which professional degree programs are subject to higher annual and lifetime graduate loan limits, meaning most graduate students will face tighter borrowing caps. The changes take effect July 1, 2026. Despite the restrictions, financial advisers note that federal loans remain the preferred borrowing vehicle because new borrowers will still have access to income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Department of Education Finalizes Landmark Repayment Rule
The U.S. Department of Education published its finalized landmark rule aimed at lowering college costs and simplifying student loan repayment. The majority of provisions take effect July 1, 2026, with additional provisions related to rehabilitation, deferment, and forbearances effective July 1, 2027. Certain older repayment plans will sunset July 1, 2028. The new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) launches as the primary income-driven option for borrowers taking out loans after July 1, 2026.
What Borrowers Need to Know About July 2026 Changes
With the July 1 effective date approaching, Newsweek and Open Campus both published detailed explainers this week on what the new rules mean in practice. Key changes include new caps on graduate and professional student borrowing, a new income-driven Repayment Assistance Plan for new borrowers, and a phaseout of older income-driven plans by 2028. Borrowers on existing plans have until July 1, 2028 to switch to a qualifying repayment plan to maintain eligibility for loan forgiveness.
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