ED Rejects Call to Expand Access to Higher Graduate Loan Caps
Jessica Blake
April 30, 2026
Under the final rule, the agency is sticking with its plan to categorize 11 degree programs as professional, giving them access to the $200,000 limit.
The Trump administration finalized regulations Thursday that will put in place new loan limits for postbaccalaureate degrees as well as make changes to how students repay their loans.
The finalized rule maintains the department’s limited definition of “professional.” This means that access to the highest amount of federal loans—$50,000 per year and $200,000 in total—will be limited to 11 degree programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology.
