APLU Statement on Graduate Student Loan Limits

Washington, DC – Association of Public and Land-grant Universities President Waded Cruzado today released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education’s final regulations implementing the student loan components of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including loan limits for graduate and professional students.

“We are profoundly disappointed in the U.S. Department of Education’s decision not to expand professional graduate programs eligible for higher loan limits in finalized federal rulemaking associated with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This rule will have significant impacts on students, institutions, and the nation’s workforce in critical sectors.

“Prior to the Department beginning the negotiated rulemaking process, APLU shared recommendations on regulatory implementation of the legislation’s higher education provisions, including the loan limits for graduate professional degrees. Many of the programs not included in higher loan limits are in critically important sectors, such as health care, that are already facing labor shortages and their exclusion will only make problems worse in decades to come. Such programs include, but are not limited to, advanced degrees in occupational and physical therapy, nursing, and social work. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates employment for nurse practitioners with a master’s degree or above is projected to grow 40% between 2024 and 2034, with an average of 29,500 openings per year.

“Students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, need access to affordable loans to complete vital programs that enhance their career prospects and make vital contributions to the nation’s workforce. The nation needs more graduates with advanced degrees in fields such as physical therapy and social work to meet workforce needs in underserved communities and the nation.

“Congress created the law that led to these regulations, and Congress can change the law. APLU is encouraged by the bipartisan support for addressing the challenges that the loan limits impose as well as the excessively narrow definition of professional programs. Legislation, such as Representative Mike Lawler’s Professional Student Degree Act, provides an option.”