McMahon grilled over professional degree definition, OCR caseload
Natalie Schwartz
May 14, 2026
House Republicans and Democrats alike questioned new regulations that exclude graduate nursing program students from higher loan caps.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Thursday faced a grilling from congressional lawmakers over her agency’s implementation of new federal loan caps and its handling of civil rights cases.
Testifying before the House Committee on Education and Workforce, McMahon defended the U.S. Department of Education’s record, arguing that new regulations that cap federal borrowing for graduate programs will drive down the cost of higher education.
McMahon also touted the Education Department’s handling of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which debuted this cycle about a week before the congressionally mandated deadline of Oct. 1. She cited the agency’s fraud prevention work on the FAFSA, efforts that she said have saved $1 billion in federal aid from flowing to scammers.
