"Big Beautiful Bill" and Major Student Loan Changes ...

As of July 1, 2026., Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act goes into effect.

First of all, that has got to be the dumbest, most Neanderthal name of a bill that has ever existed.

I mean, seriously, it's like a caveman named it - "Me. One. Big. Beautiful. HA."

You can see all the changes HERE.

Basically, if you're a traditional, full-time student, nothing much will change, unless you receive a scholarship - then you're automatically ineligible for grants. 

HOWEVER, if you are half or part-time due to work or parenting, you're in trouble - because your loans will be slashed by 50% - meaning your loan will either either just meet, or be just short of, the cost of tuition.  No money left over for books, housing, food, child care - nada. 

So here's the issue - my accelerated program is only offered part time. 

That is because it's an accelerated program, each class about 25 hours of work per class, it's essentially like a second job. (This past semester is the only time I had 2, and it was definitely 50+ hours of work.) 

Our advisors are scrambling to figure something out because most of the students in this program are nontraditional, meaning they work or have kids.

We are also looking at scholarships due to my 4.0 last semester in all 3 classes, and a 3.8 cumulative overall, but I am competing against young ones, so wish me luck? 

If you're a graduate student?

Even worse, and all I can say is - good luck - because it's bad - really, really bad. 🥲

Like I said, I am GOING to finish this time, come hell or high water!!!

The first time, I was blessed with a surprise baby girl. 😊

I went back when she was 2 and got a 4.0, but she acquired penicillin-resistant Strep pneumonia from daycare, resistant to initial antibiotics, requiring round-the-clock care for days and I had to drop.

(Aside - if nothing else to take away from this story I'm about to tell, take away that societal antibiotic overuse has led to antibiotic resistance:

In fact, another child in that same daycare died from it, but I suspected very quickly the strain was resistant to antibiotics because she was worse after 2 days. Blisters in her throat, fever of 104, she was becoming lethargic.

I called the receptionist who wouldn't schedule a same-day appointment, believing this was a new viral infection rather than the same bacterial infection because "she's on antibiotics already."

I know that - I'm telling you this may be resistant, nothing has changed; in fact, it's worse. Her fever has never dropped, it's actually risen to 104 and she's becoming lethargic."

But she wouldn't listen and made the appointment for the next day.

At that time, I was afraid to speak up as I didn't trust myself after being gaslighted for so long (and bad things happened when I did) -  HOWEVER - I also happened to be in Microbiology at UK at the time and I had coincidentally just learned about rising antibiotic resistance.

So I ran possible resistance by my professor to see if I was overreacting and this was just power of suggestion from what I'd just learned or lucky coincidence that we just studied it.

He said, "It's lucky coincidence, divine intervention, whatever you want to call it, but PUSH, Chrystal, this DOES sound like resistance! Chrystal - do you know how uncommon it is to get an A in my class before I curve the grades? And you're one of them. If I could change one thing for you, it would be to have more faith in yourself! GO, call back and demand to speak to the doctor now! And if they won't listen, go ahead and take her to the ER, because if it IS resistance, she'll become septic soon!"

So I called and probably acted like a Karen, demanding to speak to the actual doctor immediately.

Hey - if there's one time you could and should act like a Karen, it's when  your child is super sick and the dang receptionist thinks she's a doctor and won't listen to you.

HOWEVER, not only did Dr. H listen to me and allow me to bring her in emergently to be examined -  confirming the symptoms were exactly the same only worse - but he also called the hospital and spoke to the doctors of the child on life support and spoke with the Infectious Disease doctors for antibiotic suggestions.

He had to inject her with large-bore needle full of high-dose Augmentin (which is still penicillin, but with a special enzyme that breaks down resistant bacterial cell barriers) and steroids.

I remember silent tears rolling down my face, which I didn't even notice at first because I comforting her when they injected her with a large-bore needle, telling her it will hurt for a second, but make her better, wait and see ... that I was right here, look at me, just look at Mommy.

I told them to count to 3, and I started singing "Baby Mine" while they counted, which was her song, looking at her, smiling with tears streaming down my face apparently, my arms around her, and she looked straight in my eyes when he injected her and she blinked, clenched her fists, then let out a loud cry when it happened, but she didn't cry afterwards. I think it's because we had prepared her that it would be over in a second, but it will make her better, and I think that helped. 

And of course, L showered her with candy and stickers immediately, too, giving her a choice as distraction - distraction always helps. 😂

I'm tearing up now, just thinking about that day, aren't I a cornball?

Then unexpectedly afterwards, Dr. H, and his nurse, L, hugged me and then said "We know you don't have a lot of support and you doubt yourself, but you shouldn't because are SUCH an excellent mom! In fact, you're one of our favorites! Just thought you probably don't hear that enough and felt it was a good time to tell"

Well, that felt good - and they're right, I didn't hear that 😂 -  and advised watching her literally round the clock for signs of meningitis or sepsis.

(He also gave the receptionist a good scolding for playing doctor hehehe.)

Then he told me she would need to be watched round the clock for at least 48 hours to watch for signs of sepsis or meningitis.

So I literally stayed up for 48 hours straight, on round-the-clock!

BUT - her fever came down in 48 hours, and it took about a week for full recovery, but no meningitis, no sepsis - we caught it just in time!

Dr. H and L - the best pediatrician and nurse in the world, hands down.

But this is why I dropped school, but I am grateful to both Dr. H (best pediatrician in the world, now retired) and Dr. M (Microbiology professor at UK) for listening to me and encouraging me!!!! 😊

(Dr. M said he regretted my having to leave, but understood, and said he hoped to see me back one day. He was in hopes I'd go into Microbiology 😂)

So the second attempt at school (or technically the third) was in Florida in 2004/05, but we had 3 hurricanes in Pensacola that year - Ivan, Dennis, and Katrina.

I had a 4.0, but considering the windows were blown out of certain buildings of the school -  and the intact buildings were being used for shelter for New Orleans Katrina victims - there WAS no school to go to for a while and it would be months for repairs.

So with the town in tatters, unable to work for that hospital, either, I moved back here, continued working for my side contract job (until they outsourced to India that next year), and divorced my ex, who I consider a 4th hurricane. 😂

So it was a combination of my poor choices and me not being the luckiest person in the world.

Hopefully, I've learned from my poor choices, but I couldn't do much about other things beyond my control, like antibiotic-resistant child illness or hurricanes or other hurdles like the OBBA.

But one thing I am good at is - resourcefulness.

You learn to be as a single mom- "How can I stretch a dollar, how can I shift money to be used for this instead of that because it's due sooner, how can I get what we need, and fast?

There IS no savings unless you have that college degree, everything goes to basic stuff.

Even if you can save a little, say you live with a parent or grandparent for a while, illness or something needed for school will eat it.

So you exhaust all options - sometimes to no avail, but sometimes a way is made.

I'm determined and hopeful, though, like I said, one thing I'm good at is being resourceful - and I have the best advisors in the world - seriously, they are going to bat for us - not just me, everyone - but they are extremely supportive and I am grateful! 😊