Feds Issue Final Rule on Student Financial Aid Policies

The U.S. Department of Education issued a final rule, Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program, that implements student financial aid provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). The rule finalized new student loan limits and repayment plans. ACR^® submitted comments about the proposed rule earlier this year but the government made minimal changes.

The College previously urged Education to preserve a long-standing federal loan exception that allows medical students and other health profession students to borrow additional Unsubsidized Direct Loans, supplementing statutory limits. ACR also urged the department to reconsider its approach regarding the “professional” degree category and include critical health professions, like medical physicists.

The rule finalized the new student loan caps for aggregate borrowing of $200,000 for professional students and $100,000 for graduate students. It addressed the definition of “professional,” but Education declined to expand the list. The government also highlighted and clarified that “the Secretary declines to use her authority in 428H(d) of the HEA to expand the list of programs or change the loan limits.”

If you have questions or for more information, contact Ashley Walton, ACR Government Affairs Director.