Noppakan Sirikul, Tionna Ellis, Tihirah Ruffin, Brianna Huynh
July 23, 2026
State fact sheets show how ending Grad PLUS loans will widen funding gaps, increase private borrowing, and strain graduate education and workforce pipelines
The elimination of Grad PLUS loans, effective July 1, 2026, will disproportionately impact certain states, increasing pressure to address financial gaps in graduate and professional education. These fact sheets focus on Ed Trust priority states — California, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, Massachusetts, and New York — to better understand how changes in federal graduate borrowing policy may affect students, institutions, and state higher education systems. Each state snapshot highlights where the reduction in federal support will have the greatest impact and which institutions will need to depend more on state-level support. Funding gaps may increase dependence on private loans, alter enrollment patterns, and threaten workforce development in fields that require advanced credentials. This specific state-level analysis highlights how consequences at the national level will manifest at the local level.
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