The United States government has commenced the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, introducing comprehensive modifications to federal student loan borrowing limits and repayment structures effective July 1.

美國政府已開始實施《大美法案》，自 7 月 1 日起對聯邦學生貸款的借款上限與還款結構進行全面修改。

The legislative overhaul introduces stringent borrowing caps and eliminates the Grad PLUS loan program for new borrowers. Students pursuing 'professional degrees' are permitted an annual borrowing limit of $50,000, with a cumulative ceiling of $200,000. Conversely, other graduate students are restricted to $20,500 annually and a $100,000 aggregate limit. Parent PLUS loans are similarly constrained to $20,000 per annum and a $65,000 lifetime maximum. A global lifetime borrowing cap of $257,500 has also been established for most new recipients.

此次立法改革引入了嚴格的借款上限，並取消了新借款人的 Grad PLUS 貸款計畫。攻讀「專業學位」的學生每年借款上限為 50,000 美元，累計上限為 200,000 美元。相反地，其他研究生每年限額為 20,500 美元，總額上限為 100,000 美元。Parent PLUS 貸款同樣被限制在每年 20,000 美元，終身最高限額為 65,000 美元。大多數新獲款人也被設定了 257,500 美元的全球終身借款上限。

Regarding repayment, the administration is phasing out several income-driven plans, including the SAVE, PAYE, and ICR programs, by July 2028. New borrowers are limited to two primary options: the Tiered Standard Plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). The RAP requires a minimum monthly payment and extends the forgiveness timeline to 30 years. Borrowers currently enrolled in the SAVE plan will receive 90-day notifications to transition to alternative arrangements or face automatic enrollment in a standard repayment plan.

關於還款，政府將在 2028 年 7 月前逐步取消數個還款計畫（ income-driven plans），包括 SAVE、PAYE 和 ICR 計畫。新借款人僅限於兩種主要選擇：分層標準計畫（Tiered Standard Plan）與還款援助計畫（RAP）。RAP 要求每月支付最低還款額，並將債務豁免期限延長至 30 年。目前參加 SAVE 計畫的借款人將收到 90 天通知，以轉換至其他安排，否則將被自動納入標準還款計畫。

Institutional and systemic implications have emerged following these mandates. The Department of Education's initial narrow definition of 'professional degrees' prompted legal challenges from 25 states and various clinician trade groups, who argued the criteria were arbitrary. A federal court subsequently blocked the enforcement of this definition, leading the Department to expand the list of qualifying degrees to include nursing and physician associates. Critics contend that these borrowing constraints may exacerbate healthcare provider shortages in rural areas and disproportionately impede the enrollment of minority and low-income students, potentially necessitating a reliance on high-interest private lending.

這些指令後產生了對機構與系統的影響。教育部最初對「專業學位」的定義過於狹隘，導致 25 個州及各臨床醫生貿易團體提出法律挑戰，認為該標準具有隨意性。聯邦法院隨後阻止了該定義的執行，促使教育部將合資格學位名單擴大至包括護理與醫師助理。批評者認為，這些借款限制可能會加劇農村地區醫療服務提供者的短缺，並不成比例地阻礙少數族裔與低收入學生的就學，可能導致其不得不依賴高利率的私人貸款。

The federal student loan system is currently transitioning toward a more restrictive borrowing and repayment model, with significant legal and administrative adjustments ongoing.

聯邦學生貸款系統目前正轉向一種更限制性的借款與還款模式，且重大的法律與行政調整仍在進行中。