More Guns, Less Butter: How America’s Budget Choices Are Starving Higher Education

In the halls of Washington, a familiar Cold War-era phrase has returned with renewed urgency: “guns versus butter.” But in 2025, the metaphor isn't academic—it’s reality. With the Trump administration's proposed FY2026 budget increasing defense spending to an unprecedented $1.01 trillion, educators, students, and policy advocates are warning that the nation’s commitment to higher education is being eroded at its foundation.

The proposed 13.4 percent increase in military spending includes massive investments in nuclear modernization, missile defense systems, and cyberwarfare infrastructure. Meanwhile, funding for federal student aid, university research, and college readiness programs remains stagnant or faces outright reductions. Pell Grants are flat-funded, leaving them far behind tuition inflation. Federal Work-Study allocations drop by 8 percent, limiting opportunities for low-income students. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is on the chopping block entirely.

“The message is loud and clear,” said Dr. Nina Delgado, a policy analyst at the Center for Postsecondary Equity. “We can afford another missile silo, but not math tutoring for first-generation college students.”

From regional public colleges to minority-serving institutions, campuses already suffering from years of austerity face even deeper crises. With state and federal support shrinking, tuition continues its unrelenting climb—fueling debt and pushing higher education out of reach for millions. Over 100 colleges—many of them rural or under-resourced—are on the brink of closure. Faculty layoffs and hiring freezes are becoming the norm, especially in the humanities. Community colleges, a key engine for workforce training, are operating at a deficit in 27 states.

Supporters of the military expansion argue that defense is a prerequisite for national security. But critics counter that America’s long-term strength lies in knowledge, innovation, and human capital—assets developed not in weapons labs, but in classrooms. “You can’t bomb your way to a competitive economy,” said Jason Rahim, a University of Vermont economics professor. “We’re starving the very institutions that fuel research, educate workers, and foster democratic thinking.”

As the U.S. crosses the $1 trillion defense spending threshold, the nation’s crumbling lecture halls and shuttered library doors tell a different story—one where the greatest threats to national security may not be foreign adversaries, but domestic neglect. Until Congress reinvests in the public good—particularly in equitable, accessible higher education—America may find itself armed to the teeth but intellectually disarmed.