In Florida, nearly 22,000 college students are at risk of losing $3,500 in annual tuition support due to a proposed State House budget that ties financial aid to institutional performance metrics. While lawmakers tout accountability, the human impact is undeniable: aspiring nurses, pilots, cybersecurity professionals, and teachers—many of them first-generation college students or working adults—could be forced to abandon their dreams because the institutions they attend don’t meet new benchmarks.
Simultaneously, across the country, another financial alarm bell is ringing. The average U.S. credit score is dropping. The culprit? The resurgence of student loan delinquencies. After years of pandemic-related pauses of student loan payments, payments are now due, and many borrowers are falling behind. In February 2025 alone, 2.7 million Americans had new student loan delinquencies reported on their credit report. Another 5.4 million are at risk of the same fate very soon.
These two stories, while seemingly unrelated, reveal a deeper truth: what you study in college, and how you fund it, can have lasting consequences on your financial health.
Students at the 15 private colleges facing EASE grant cuts are not majoring in obscure or low-demand fields. They are training to become the essential workers Florida desperately needs—healthcare providers, educators, engineers, and national security experts. These are not just degrees; they are investments in Florida’s workforce and economy. Yet, by withdrawing support, the State risks pulling the financial rug out from under students who are likely to give back the most.
Keiser University’s Vice Chancellor, Belinda Keiser, warned that the cuts could disproportionately affect non-traditional students, single parents, veterans, and working professionals. These are exactly the types of students who don’t have the luxury of a financial safety net, and who most likely rely on good credit to stay afloat. Stripping them of vital financial aid could result in higher dropout rates and more students defaulting on their loans, both of which directly impact creditworthiness.
As the federal government has resumed reporting student loan delinquencies this year, the average FICO credit score dipped to 715. More alarmingly, the share of consumers with a 90-day delinquency recently spiked past pre-pandemic levels. For many borrowers, one missed payment doesn’t only hurt their credit score; it jeopardizes their ability to rent an apartment, buy a car, or secure employment in fields that require financial reliability.
The bottom line is that education may be one of the largest financial decisions a person will ever make. But unlike buying a car or house, many students commit to it with little understanding of the long-term costs or how their chosen major affects their income potential. A nursing degree may lead to stable employment and manageable debt; a less marketable degree might not.
If lawmakers truly care about accountability and outcomes, they should support programs like EASE that open doors to high-demand careers. Instead of punishing institutions that serve disadvantaged students, the focus should be on strengthening pathways that lead to both graduation and gainful employment.
Florida’s Senate understands this. Their proposed budget keeps EASE fully funded, recognizing that access to education in critical fields benefits not just the student, but the State’s entire economy.
As lawmakers enter final budget negotiations ahead of the April 29 deadline, the stakes could not be higher. They are deciding more than just appropriations, they are deciding who gets to thrive financially and who risks falling behind.
In today’s credit-driven economy, the connection between education and financial health is more direct than ever. What you study, how you fund it, and whether you finish your degree aren’t just academic questions, they are the blueprint for your financial life.
Lin Sierra
Lina is an education professional with several decades of experience in both, public and private education
