Jessica Blake
August 3, 2026
The Education Department and some policy experts say yes. But others aren’t so sure.
When Republicans set new loan limits for graduate students last summer, they made it clear their intent was to drive down college costs and address the mounting student debt crisis. Now, as those limits take effect ahead of a new academic year, some are saying that goal is already coming to fruition.
A new blog from the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank, says that graduate programs are “cutting tuition,” citing 10 programs across the country—seven of which are providing scholarships rather than directly reducing tuition. In many cases, the colleges making these changes pointed to the Republican loan limits, added Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at AEI and author of the blog.