Lawmakers and Universities Push Back on Loan Caps
Jessica Blake
March 4, 2026
Politicians from both sides of the aisle sharply criticized the Education Department’s narrow interpretation of the legislation, which limits the number of students with access to large federal loans.
Hundreds of lawmakers have joined dozens of university leaders and academic trade associations in urging the Department of Education to amend its new regulations on federal student loans, arguing the current rule will deter students from pursuing high-demand degree programs and thus exacerbate dire health-care workforce shortages.
The 240-page regulation, first released in January, narrowly interprets the new loan limits established by Congress’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act by designating only a select group of 11 postbaccalaureate degree programs “professional.” Students enrolled in those programs will be allowed to borrow up to $50,000 per year, the regulations say. The other programs will be labeled “graduate,” meaning borrowers can borrow only half that amount from the government.
