The United States government has started applying the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This law introduces major changes to how much students can borrow and how they must pay back their federal loans, starting July 1.

美國政府已開始執行《大美法案》。這項法律自 7 月 1 日起，針對學生可借款金額及聯邦貸款還款方式引入了重大變更。

The new law sets strict limits on borrowing and removes the Grad PLUS loan program for new students. Students pursuing 'professional degrees' can borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a total limit of $200,000. Other graduate students are limited to $20,500 annually and a total of $100,000. Additionally, Parent PLUS loans are now capped at $20,000 per year and $65,000 in total. For most new borrowers, there is a general lifetime limit of $257,500.

新法對借款設定了嚴格限制，並取消了新生的 Grad PLUS 貸款計畫。追求「專業學位」的學生每年最高可借 5 萬美元，總額上限為 20 萬美元。其他研究生每年限額為 2 萬 500 美元，總額上限為 10 萬美元。此外，Parent PLUS 貸款現在每年上限為 2 萬美元，總額上限為 6 萬 5 千美元。對於大多數新借款人而言，終身總限額為 25 萬 7 500 美元。

Regarding repayment, the government is removing several income-driven plans, such as SAVE, PAYE, and ICR, by July 2028. New borrowers must choose between two main options: the Tiered Standard Plan or the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). The RAP requires a minimum monthly payment and extends the time for loan forgiveness to 30 years. Furthermore, those currently using the SAVE plan will be notified 90 days in advance to switch plans, or they will be placed in a standard repayment plan automatically.

關於還款，政府將在 2028 年 7 月前取消數項收入驅動計畫，例如 SAVE、PAYE 和 ICR。新借款人必須在兩個主要選項中選擇：分層標準計畫 (Tiered Standard Plan) 或還款援助計畫 (RAP)。RAP 要求每月支付最低還款額，並將貸款豁免時間延長至 30 年。此外，目前使用 SAVE 計畫的人將在 90 天前收到通知要求切換計畫，否則將被自動納入標準還款計畫。

These changes have caused several legal and social issues. Initially, the Department of Education had a very narrow definition of 'professional degrees,' which led 25 states and medical groups to sue. They argued that the rules were unfair. Consequently, a federal court stopped the government from using that definition, and the Department expanded the list to include nursing and physician associates. However, critics emphasize that these limits might cause a shortage of healthcare workers in rural areas and make it harder for low-income or minority students to attend college, forcing them to use expensive private loans.

這些變動引起了若干法律與社會問題。最初，教育部對「專業學位」的定義非常狹隘，導致 25 個州及醫療團體提起訴訟。他們主張這些規則並不公平。隨後，聯邦法院禁止政府使用該定義，教育部將名單擴大，將護理與醫療助理亦納入其中。然而，批評者強調，這些限制可能會導致鄉村地區醫療人力短缺，並增加低收入或少數族裔學生就讀大學的難度，迫使他們使用昂貴的私人貸款。

The federal student loan system is moving toward a more restrictive model, and the government continues to make legal and administrative adjustments.

聯邦學生貸款制度正趨向於一種更限制性的模式，且政府將持續進行法律與行政上的調整。