On July 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education released a list of twelve programs most likely to fail the Earnings Accountability test under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would eliminate student loan eligibility for students seeking higher education – ensuring that the government receives financial return on student investment.
The Trump administration finalized the Accountability Provisions of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which, for the first time, uses the Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and Earnings Accountability rule to hold institutions accountable for income outcomes of their graduates. Under this rule, undergraduate and graduate programs must demonstrate that their graduates are earning more than working individuals with posterior education.
Programs that fail the eligibility test two out of three consecutive years would be considered “low-earning outcome programs” and would cease to take part in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program.
Master’s degrees in mental and social health services and allied professions as well as rehabilitation and therapeutic professions are predicted to fail. Neuroscience junior Ceylin Kuzu said that the provisions could make healthcare education less accessible to a broad range of students, decreasing the number of applicants in the field.
“Just because someone earns less money than others doesn’t necessarily mean that their degree is less valuable,” Kuzu said. “Some careers focus more on helping others or making a difference in society rather than making a high salary.”
Moreover, associate degrees in teacher education and professional development are at risk of losing federal student loans, and while the degree is not offered at UTD, it could hinder the education program available. Education sophomore Nachand Mendy said that the already small teaching industry could be affected since many students rely on an associate’s degree to qualify for entry‑level teaching and support roles.
“It deters people because there is not much opportunity to gain a comfortable income,” Mendy said. “Majors like [education] are just going to decrease because they are already not highly regarded, so it makes it harder to pursue something that you know will make no money.”
Among the list of programs, bachelor’s degrees in theatre arts and stagecraft, music as well as fine and studio arts are predicted to be among the most affected. Music professor Min Hee Kim said that her experiences as a performer and educator, as well as professional in the business and entertainment fields, show the amount of career opportunities available from art related degrees.
“Two students could graduate with the exact same degree and end up with completely different careers,” Kim said. “Sometimes, the person who ends up making the most money isn’t necessarily the one who followed the traditional academic path.”
UTD has seen a fluctuating number of students majoring in the visual and performing arts Bachelor of Arts – 138 total students were enrolled in fall 2025, while 120 total were enrolled in spring 2026. If student loans were no longer available for these programs, some may need to resort to private student loans, which usually have a higher rate of interest.
“For a university like UTD, where the arts programs are relatively small compared to STEM programs, it’s important to make sure students have access to financial support,” Kim said. “If we start losing talented students because of financial barriers, we’re not just affecting individual students, we’re also affecting the whole future of our arts programs.”
Theatre professor Fred Curchack said this policy has a wide range of implications that may be detrimental to the programs themselves as they may be subject to funding cuts and program closures as a whole.
“I don’t discredit the value of money and the meaning for our students to make a living,” Curchack said. “But I don’t know anyone who hasn’t profited and found deep inner value from studying theatre and acting, visual art, music, and dance – who hasn’t become a happier, more essential, and deeper person.”
Institutions also have the option to use a “parachute option” of voluntarily blocking direct loans for a struggling program to preserve Pell Grant eligibility. While it is still unclear whether programs at UTD will be affected by the rule, it is nevertheless a trade-off that institutions around the country could have to take.
“It’s a terrible trade-off,” Curchack said. “It is an offer being made by people for whom art only means propaganda, power, cheap entertainment [and] forgetfulness.”
The final rule has been determined. The first earnings calculations will be released by July 1, 2027, and the earliest a program could lose eligibility is July 1, 2028. Notwithstanding, students are encouraged to pursue their passions while finding a balance to make a stable income.
“If you really love art, the art in yourself, the art in your life, the art in your inner world – if you really want to keep that alive, then do continue to make art and you will find a way to make a living,” Curchack said.