Spending · subcategory
Higher education
Pell Grants and federal student loans. Part of Education, jobs & social services. FY2025 net outlays: −$35.0B. The largest program is Federal direct student loans (subsidy costs) ($64.7B).
−$35.0B
FY2025 net outlays
n/a
of Education, jobs & social services
n/a
change from FY2024 ($161B)
16
programs (accounts) with FY2025 spending
Every program
16 accounts with FY2025 spending in Higher education, largest first. Hover or tap a bar for details.
Mandatory (set by standing law)Discretionary (set by yearly appropriations)
How the total adds up
| Programs (the 16 accounts above) | $118B |
| Offsets: premiums, fees, loan repayments, and other collections (14 accounts) | −$153B |
| Payments between government accounts, net (e.g. general-fund transfers into trust funds, less the matching receipts) | $63M |
| Net outlays, matching OMB Historical Table 3.2 | −$35.0B |
The largest offsets
| Federal Direct Student Loan Program, Negative Subsidies Department of Education | −$133B |
| Federal Direct Student Loan Program, Downward Reestimates of Subsidies Department of Education | −$10.4B |
| Federal Family Education Loan Program, Downward Reestimates of Subsidies Department of Education | −$9.08B |
| Repayment of Loans, Capital Contributions, Higher Education Activities Department of Education | −$453M |
| College Housing and Academic Facilities Loan, Downward Reestimates of Subsidies Department of Education | −$117M |
| Federal Student Loan Reserve Fund Office of Federal Student Aid | −$101M |
| Federal Family Education Loan Liquidating Account Office of Federal Student Aid | −$47M |
| TEACH Grant Program, Downward Reestimates of Subsidies Department of Education | −$23M |
| TEACH Grant Program, Negative Subsidies Department of Education | −$8M |
| Student Financial Assistance Debt Collection Department of Education | −$6M |
| Health Education Assistance Loans Liquidating Account Office of Federal Student Aid | −$3M |
| Health Education Assistance Loans, Downward Reestimates of Subsidies Department of Education | −$2M |
All programs, sortable
Sparklines show each program in 2025 dollars, FY2000–2025.
| Program | Type | FY2024 | FY2025 | Change | FY2000–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal direct student loans (subsidy costs) Office of Federal Student Aid | Mandatory | $110B | $64.7B | −41% | |
| Pell Grants & campus-based student aid Office of Federal Student Aid | Discretionary | $34.7B | $42.1B | +21% | |
| Higher Education Office of Postsecondary Education | Discretionary | $3.19B | $3.57B | +12% | |
| Payment Where American Opportunity Credit Exceeds Liability for Tax Internal Revenue Service | Mandatory | $2.47B | $2.55B | +3.0% | |
| Federal Family Education Loan Program Account Office of Federal Student Aid | Mandatory | $13.3B | $2.37B | −82% | |
| Student Aid Administration Office of Federal Student Aid | Discretionary | $2.11B | $2.26B | +7.1% | |
| Howard University Office of Postsecondary Education | Discretionary | $278M | $337M | +21% | |
| Gallaudet University Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services | Discretionary | $151M | $159M | +5.3% | |
| National Technical Institute for the Deaf Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services | Discretionary | $101M | $91M | −9.9% | |
| TEACH Grant Program Account Office of Federal Student Aid | Mandatory | $60M | $40M | −33% | |
| College Housing and Academic Facilities Loans Program Account Office of Postsecondary Education | Discretionary | $42M | $27M | −36% | |
| Payment to the Institute Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development | Discretionary | $13M | $13M | +0.0% | |
| Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation | Mandatory | $3M | $3M | +0.0% | |
| Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation | Mandatory | $2M | $3M | +50% | |
| James Madison Memorial Fellowship Trust Fund James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation | Mandatory | $3M | $3M | +0.0% | |
| Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation | Mandatory | $4M | $3M | −25% |
Higher education since 1993
Net outlays in 2025 dollars, fiscal years 1993–2025.