The Supreme Court’s unexplained ruling allowing the Trump administration to strangle the Education Department has gotten the headlines, but more insidious are the provisions in the budget bill undermining the student loan program. This hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention.

The bill, signed July 4, reduces and caps the total amount that students and parents can borrow. It raises interest costs and shuts down or weakens programs that allow loan forgiveness based on income or public service employment. And for new student loans, it only offers two repayment plans, both of which are far more expensive than the current options. Some of this takes effect as late as 2028; other provisions are in force almost immediately.

Why is the administration doing this? Think of it as a Trump trifecta.

The move saves the government some money, which helps pay for Trump’s billionaire tax cuts. The ten-year savings are projected at about $355 billion. Nearly $300 billion of that savings comes from repealing income-based repayment plans, notably the Biden-era SAVE plan. In other words, the budget savings come directly out of the pockets of student borrowers.

The administration is piling on this burden. For the 7.7 million people enrolled in the SAVE plan, who had benefited from a payment pause while right-wingers challenge that income-based repayment plan, interest collections will resume on August 1, the Department of Education announced. This will cost borrowers more than $3,500 a year.

But saving money is not the only goal. The cuts and caps are part of the general attack on higher education. If fewer students can afford college, more institutions will suffer declining enrollment and lost income, and more will cut back or shut down.