FILE-A registered nurse administers a vaccine into the arm of a patient. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Read more Florida woman claiming to be domestic violence victim accused of scamming man on dating app
A group of 25 states and Washington, D.C.against the Department of Education over new graduate student loan limits.
The lawsuit, filed in Maryland, comes a few weeks after the Department of Education finalized rules that lower the amount of money graduate students can borrow from the federal government.
RELATED: Student loan borrowers in SAVE plan told to prepare for repayment: What to know
Starting July 1, the rule takes effect and is part of the One Big Beautiful Act signed by President Donald Trump in 2025.
The Department of Education can impose loan borrowing caps depending on if students are working towards a degree in what is deemed as a professional or graduate program.
States argue federal loan limit may impact health worker shortage
Dig deeper:
The, which include Arizona, California, Maryland, Nevada, and Colorado, are challenging a Trump administration rule that caps access to federal student loans for borrowers earning a graduate degree in healthcare-related jobs.
Read more One of America’s oldest beer brands discontinued after 177 years in US
States are also concerned that the to rely on expensive private loans, postpone finishing their education, and weaken workforce shortages, making it difficult for patients to access health care.
In 2025, Republicans passed new limits on graduate student loans as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
This act doesn’t change limits for undergraduate borrowers, including students attending undergraduate nursing programs, but limits how much money graduate students can borrow. However, the new limits cap yearly borrowing for most at $20,500 with a total limit of $100,000.
According to the Washington Post, the Department of Education stated that 95% of nursing students borrow below the annual limit and would not be impacted by the new caps.
While appearing at a House Education Committee hearing in April, Education Secretary Linda McMahon alluded to this statistic when lawmakers expressed concerns that the graduate loan limits may worsen the health care worker shortage.
McMahon raised two points in the hearing that the cost of most advanced nursing degrees might still be in the range of the new caps, which wouldn’t affect undergraduate nursing programs, and that the caps are meant to compel colleges to lower their tuition costs, NPR reported.
Read more Missing West Virginia teen found dead, homicide investigation underway
About the Author
