When I transferred from St. Mary’s College of Maryland to The George Washington University, I knew I was taking a risk. Leaving behind a smaller campus community and navigating an entirely new academic and financial system was daunting, but it felt necessary. I wanted greater opportunities, more resources, and a clearer path toward my future in business. What I didn’t expect, however, was just how many barriers I’d face in trying to finish what I started.

Transferring schools taught me how to start over, but it also showed me how much harder the system makes it for students who don’t follow a traditional path

Transferring schools didn’t just mean new professors, unfamiliar dorms, and navigating through a new campus, it meant reapplying for financial aid, losing credits that didn’t transfer, and fighting to stay on track to graduate on time. Now, as I enter my senior year and begin thinking seriously about graduate school, I’m watching that dream get pushed further out of reach, not because I’m not working hard, but because the support I need will soon disappear.

With proposed cuts to federal student aid, Pell Grants, Title IV funding and support programs under the Trump administration, students like me, transfer students, students of color, and students from low-income backgrounds — aren’t just being asked to do more with less as The Great American Heist happens in front of us; we’re being asked to sacrifice our futures in the name of “fiscal responsibility.” The “Big Beautiful Bill” will make a permanent cap off on the amount of federal loans you are allowed to maxes out for both undergraduate and graduate school at $257,00 per person.

When I transferred to GWU, I had to start over not only socially and academically, but financially. The aid I received at St. Mary’s didn’t follow me: I had to re-submit my FAFSA, learn an entirely new system of deadlines and policies, and accept that some of the institutional aid I once relied on was now gone. Many financial aid packages won’t transfer because institutional scholarships and grants are often school-specific. Even federal aid, like Pell Grants, isn’t automatic. You must manually add your new school to your FAFSA and ensure your paperwork is complete, or risk losing eligibility.

And there are bigger consequences too. Oftentimes, the timing of your transfer can cost you. Students transferring mid-year may miss out on financial aid, because those funds can lose out on state-issued aid or institutional grants are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

On top of all that, transferring colleges often means losing credits. When I transferred to GWU from St. Mary’s, I lost 22 credits that I had earned at St. Mary’s, pushing my class status from junior to sophomore. This is because each institution has their own credit system outside of other colleges. These lost credits result in delayed graduation, which costs me and other transfer students more money, and puts us at risk of exhausting Pell Grant or federal loan eligibility entirely. The new law under the Trump administrations “Big Beautiful Bill” states that federal aid such as Pell Grants will soon disappear as the bill aims to eliminate Pell Grant eligibility for students with a high Student Aid Index beginning July 1, 2026. These cuts aren’t just line items on a federal budget; they directly threaten students like me.

Access to college is only the beginning. What truly matters is whether students have the resources to stay enrolled, complete their degrees, and pursue further education without being financially crushed because of it. So many students are forced to “stop out,” and are buried in debt without a degree to show for it. Without support for transfer students, students of color, and students from low-income backgrounds, there lies the risk of creating a system where opportunity is promised at the start but not delivered through to the end, where students are admitted but not equipped and prepared to cross the finish line.

Transferring schools taught me how to start over, but it also showed me how much harder the system makes it for students who don’t follow a traditional path. I’ve worked relentlessly to stay enrolled, reapply for aid, look for outside scholarships to cover my costs of living and help replace lost credits, and remain on track to graduate. I’m proud of that resilience. But it shouldn’t have to be this hard. And I’m not alone. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, students transferring with a prior credential (like an associate’s degree) comprised 42% of the two-to-four-year transfer population in 2020, but this share has dropped to 39% in 2024 — a decline of over 16,000 students. That dip suggests that more students are being derailed before they even reach key academic milestones before they continue their education at a four-year college, falling through cracks in a system that should be helping them move forward.

This is why EdTrust’s commitment to equity in higher education funding is so critical, especially as public education funding is under attack. Whether it’s advocating for doubling the Pell Grant, Grad Plus Loans, supporting federal completion grants, or fighting back against cuts to Title IV, which are Federal Student Aid programs for post-secondary students (college, grad school, etc.), these investments don’t just impact statistics; they impact lives. Mine included. This country cannot afford to scale back support for students right now — but that is exactly what’s happening. Under this administration, higher education is being reconfigured to return to a time when college was reserved for wealthy, white men.

Students like me are doing everything we can, adjusting, re-adjusting, adapting, and showing up, while financial aid systems remain rigid and funding remains uncertain. As conversations about higher education policy continue, transfer students cannot be left behind.

We need federal and institutional support that recognizes our paths, not punish them. We need policies that invest in completion, and not just partial access. And we need urgent action to preserve and expand programs that help students cross the finish line, not just dream about it. Students like me are doing everything right. We just need the country to meet us halfway.

Manuela Mouafo is a senior at GWU and a summer digital communications intern.

As part of our commitment to elevating diverse perspectives, EdTrust occasionally features guest blogs. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect EdTrust’s views or positions.