Democratic-led states sue over Trump administration's student loan restrictions
The coalition says the rule could force students in nursing and other health fields toward private loans and deepen workforce shortages.
- On Tuesday, 24 states and the District of Columbia sued the Education Department in U.S. District Court in Maryland, challenging new rules that restrict federal loan eligibility for graduate-level health programs.
- The lawsuit targets a provision in the "Big, Beautiful Bill" signed by President Donald Trump last July, which created strict caps of $20,500 annually and $100,000 total for graduate student borrowing.
- States argue the rule is "arbitrary" and unlawfully excludes fields like physician assistant, physical therapy, and graduate-level nursing from professional degree status, potentially worsening healthcare worker shortages.
- The Education Department previously described the caps as a practical measure, asserting that most nursing students borrow less than the annual limit and the policy will incentivize lower program costs.
- This challenge occurs amid broader efforts by Under Secretary Linda McMahon to reduce the department's workforce by nearly 50 percent, while 43 million borrowers currently owe $1.6 trillion in federal student loans as of 2023.
87 Articles
87 Articles
Trump administration sued over student loan cap for graduate programs
Twenty-five states filed a lawsuit against the Education Department on Tuesday over a new $100,000 cap on federal loans for graduate students. The coalition of Democratic states claimed that the rule arbitrarily discriminated between “professional” students in education programs, such as medical or law school, and “graduate” students in other fields of study. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act set a $100,000 limit on graduate loans and a higher $200…
Mississippi Today
DeSoto County NewsWicker files bill to overturn Trump Education Department on nursing school loans
Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. Dozens of states sued the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday over the agency’s finalized loan caps that would limit the federal funds available to professional degree-seekers. The limits officially go into effect on July 1. For borrowers going to medical school, law school, dentistry school, pharmacy school or other programs that the Education Department cate…
Attorney General Raoul Challenges Unlawful U.S. Department Of Education Rule Limiting Access To Student Loans For Professional Degree Programs
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of states, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over a new rule that unlawfully limits access to federal student loans for students pursuing professional degrees, including in healthcare and other critical workforce fields.“This rule will cut off access for many qualified students and will worsen nationwide labor shortages in vital fields, including nursing and ph…
'Unlawful': Jay Jones joins multistate lawsuit over Trump's new student loan rule for professional degrees
Attorney General Jay Jones (D) called a new rule from President Donald Trump's administration new rule limiting access to student loans "unlawful," as Virginia joined a multistate lawsuit against the Department of Education (DOE) challenging the policy.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
West Hawaii TodayDemocratic-led states sue over Trump administration’s student loan restrictions
A group of Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Tuesday challenging a new rule the Trump administration issued that could limit access to federal student loans for people pursuing advanced professional degrees in healthcare-related fields. Democratic attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia joined with the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania to file a lawsuit in federal court in Maryland arguing that the U.S. Departme…
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