A federal judge has blocked part of a Trump administration plan that would have limited access to loans for students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy, public health and some other fields.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, one of the groups that sued, described the ruling in a Facebook post Thursday as “an important step for NP students, the future health care workforce and the patients who depend on them.”
At issue are caps on federal student loans that were passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and set to take effect in July.
While graduate students could previously borrow loans up to the cost of their degree, the new rules set limits. Programs that were designated as “graduate” programs face a loan cap of $100,000, while professional degrees are capped at $200,000.
The Education Department defined the following fields as professional programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.
Eight groups sued, representing nurse practitioners, therapists, public health workers, speech language pathologists, physician assistants and more. All were left out of the new definition.
The groups alleged that students would be forced to forgo their education or accept burdensome private loans.
In pausing the Education Department’s definition of a “professional degree” late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found issue with the agency making updates that added “more stringent requirements" to the definition. Those new requirements include that professional degree holders ”must work free from another professional’s supervision.”
Howell said Congress didn't give the Education Department this authority and raised concerns that a loss of opportunities for prospective students would be "detrimental to the public, particularly in underserved communities that may face a shortage of healthcare and other critical professional services.”
The ruling doesn't stop the loan caps, just the updated definition of a profession degree.
The Education Department said in a written statement that it is “reviewing the order and will take appropriate action.” It previously defended the caps on student loans, saying they were already incentivizing colleges and universities to lower tuition.
A lawsuit filed by a coalition of Democratic-led states that also challenges the caps is still pending.
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