March/April 2026: Policy Updates

As Phi Beta Kappa celebrates its 250th year, the Society approaches its policy and advocacy work in 2026 with renewed focus and purpose. This moment brings both significant challenges and exciting opportunities. The decisions our federal and state leaders make now will shape how colleges empower students, strengthen communities, and guide the nation’s future for generations to come.

As a college alum and member of the Society, you are uniquely positioned to champion the value of arts and sciences education—and its impact on our nation. With FY2027 budget discussions taking place in Congress and State Capitols, now is the time to act. 

Join us in calling on federal policymakers to protect the nation’s cultural endowments, which the Society helped found in 1965. Write to policymakers to maintain federal investments in scientific research and training, supported by nearly three-quarters of voters in bipartisan agreement. Prevent drastic cuts to financial aid, enabling millions of students to earn high-quality four-year degrees and ensuring America’s long-term safety, health, and well-being. Ask state lawmakers to support robust state higher education funding and uphold academic freedom and shared governance. 

• • Thank Congress for Protecting the Nation’s Cultural Endowments – With strong bipartisan support, Congress approved $207 million for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY 2026. Take a moment to thank your Members of Congress for supporting the NEA and NEH, and ask for their continued commitment to arts and humanities in FY2027.
  • Prevent Drastic Cuts to Financial Aid – Federally funded student aid allows millions of Americans to attend college and give back to their communities. In February, the Congressional Budget Office projects a shortfall of 11.5 billion dollars in the Pell Grant program. Learn more about the Pell shortfall and contact your Member of Congress. 
  • Support Scientific Research & Training – Federal research funding drives innovation, jobs, and lifesaving breakthroughs—plus, nearly 80% of voters support it. Explore how cuts to research funding might impact your community and take action with The Science Coalition and The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA). 
  • Secure Robust State Higher Education Funding – State funding for higher education grew by just 1.0 percent in FY2025, the smallest nominal increase since 2021. While overall support is not declining, the pace of growth slowed considerably compared with previous years. Read the 2026 Grapevine Report and find resources to champion state higher education. 
  • Protect Academic Freedom & Shared Governance – Across multiple states, policymakers are reshaping tenure protections, faculty governance, and course curricula. Share the importance of academic freedom and shared governance with your state legislator. 

   

Read recent Phi Beta Kappa Statements

• • Letter urging Congress to protect and maintain funding for federal student aid programs in fiscal year 2027
  • Joint Statement with AAC&U on “Higher Education’s Compact with America: Shared Principles for the Common Good”
  • Statement by Higher Education Associations in Opposition to Administration Compact
  • Statement on academic excellence in higher education
  • Letter urging Congress to ensure that all funds allocated for fiscal year 2026 be spent by the administration as intended
  • Letter to Congress expressing support for the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs’s effort to develop a model ensuring that institutions’ essential research costs are adequately supported
  • Letter to Congress urging preservation of the purchasing power of the Pell Grant in FY2026
  • Phi Beta Kappa’s statement on the murder of Charlie Kirk
  • Letter to Secretary Rubio urging exemption of F, J, and M student visas from travel ban
  • Letter urging Congress to protect vital federal student aid programs
  • Amicus Brief in support of Harvard University’s lawsuit challenging the administration’s efforts to subvert higher education to the federal government’s political leadership
  • Letter urging Congress to fully fund the Pell Grant program and reject any proposed eligibility cuts
  • Letter to State Department on student visa interview pause
    
  • “A Call to Reforge the Historic Compact Between Higher Education and the Federal Government” statement jointly signed by over 50 higher education assocations including Phi Beta Kappa
  • Phi Beta Kappa’s Statement of Support for Lawsuit Alleging Illegal Dismantling of the National Endowment for the Humanities
  • “Call for Constructive Engagement” statement jointly signed by higher education leaders including Phi Beta Kappa’s Secretary Frederick Lawrence
  • Joint statement in support of the National Endowment for the Humanities from The Phi Beta Kappa Society, American Council of Learned Societies, and Council of Graduate Schools.
  • Phi Beta Kappa’s statement about the Executive Order to dismantle the Department of Education
  • Phi Beta Kappa’s statement about proposed cuts to scientific research funding

Learn about the impact of the arts, humanities, and sciences in your state and district by using the following resources:

• • National College Attainment Network State Economic Value of College Profiles
  • U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Arts & Cultural Production Satellite Account Data, U.S. and States, 2023
  • National Endowment for the Arts State Profiles
  • National Endowment for the Humanities State & Jurisdiction Impact
  • National Science Foundation by the Numbers

Stay up to date on the arts and sciences in higher education by following Phi Beta Kappa on LinkedIn  and read our latest issue of our State of the Arts & Sciences newsletter. 

National Organizations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences 

American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Council of Learned Societies 

American Council on Education 

Association of American Colleges & Universities

Association of American Universities

Council of Graduate Schools

Council of Independent Colleges

Consortium of Social Sciences Associations

National Humanities Alliance

National Humanities Center

Reports and Infographics

Myths and Realities About Humanities Majors
(Humanities Works)

Strategies for Recruiting Students to the Humanities: A Comprehensive Resource
(National Humanities Alliance)

What Are You Going to Do with That?
(National Humanities Alliance)

Doubling the Maximum Pell Grant
(National Association of Student Financial Aid Adminstrators)

The Real, Long-term Labor Market Outcomes of Liberal Arts Grads
(Strada Institute for the Future of Work and Emsi)

Federal Funding for Social and Behavioral Sciences
(Association of American Universities)

It Takes More than a Major
(Association of American Colleges & Universities)

Liberal Arts Degrees and Their Value in Employment
(Association of American Colleges & Universities and National Center for Higher Education Management Systems)

Science Matters
(Science Coalition)

 Arts + Social Impact Explorer
(Americans for the Arts)

District Advocacy Guide: Engaging Humanities Advocates on a Local Level
(National Humanities Alliance)

NEH Impact Index
(Graduate Center Digital Initiatives)