A coalition of states and a bipartisan group of legislators are challenging Department of Education regulations regarding borrowing limits for graduate and professional degrees.

一個由多個州組成的聯盟以及一個跨黨派的立法者小組，正針對教育部關於研究生與專業學位借貸上限的規定提出挑戰。

The current dispute originates from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which establishes a bifurcated borrowing structure: a $100,000 lifetime limit for graduate students and a $200,000 limit for those pursuing professional degrees. The Department of Education's implementation of this act restricts the 'professional' designation to eleven specific categories, including law, medicine, and dentistry, while excluding advanced nursing, physical therapy, and other healthcare-related certifications. This regulatory framework is scheduled for implementation on July 1.

目前的爭議源於《One Big Beautiful Bill Act》，該法案建立了一個雙軌的借貸結構：研究生終身限額為 10 萬美元，而追求專業學位者則為 20 萬美元。教育部在執行此法案時，將「專業」定義限制在 11 個特定類別，包括法律、醫學和牙醫學，而將高級護理、物理治療及其他醫療相關認證排除在外。此監管框架預計於 7 月 1 日起實施。

In response, a coalition comprising 24 states and the District of Columbia initiated litigation in federal court, asserting that the administration's narrowing of the professional degree definition is arbitrary and exceeds statutory authority. Plaintiffs contend that the current definition relies on antiquated regulations from the 1950s and will exacerbate existing healthcare personnel shortages by restricting access to necessary funding. Specifically, the American Nurses Association and other advocates argue that the $100,000 cap is insufficient for high-cost programs, such as those for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, potentially driving students toward high-interest private lending.

對此，一個由 24 個州和哥倫比亞特區組成的聯盟在聯邦法院提起訴訟，主張政府縮小專業學位定義的做法具有任意性且超越了法定權限。原告方認為，目前的定義依賴於 1950 年代的陳舊規定，且會因限制必要資金的獲取而加劇現有的醫療人員短缺。具體而言，美國護理師協會及其他倡導者認為，10 萬美元的上限對於高成本課程（例如認證註冊護士麻醉師）而言不足，可能會迫使學生轉向高利率的私人貸款。

Simultaneously, a bipartisan legislative effort led by Senators Jeff Merkley and Roger Wicker seeks to amend the professional degree list to include advanced nursing. This proposal aims to mitigate the potential contraction of the nursing workforce pipeline. Conversely, the Department of Education, represented by Secretary Linda McMahon and Undersecretary Nicholas Kent, maintains that the caps are a necessary mechanism to incentivize institutions to reduce tuition costs. The administration cites data from the American Enterprise Institute suggesting that a significant majority of nursing students do not exceed the proposed caps, characterizing the concerns of critics as misinformed.

與此同時，由參議員 Jeff Merkley 和 Roger Wicker 領導的跨黨派立法努力正尋求修改專業學位清單，將高級護理納入其中。此提案旨在緩解護理人力資源管道可能萎縮的問題。相反，由部長 Linda McMahon 和副部長 Nicholas Kent 代表的教育部則堅持認為，上限是激勵院校降低學費的必要機制。政府引用美國企業研究所的數據，指出絕大多數護理系學生並未超過擬議的上限，並將批評者的擔憂描述為資訊錯誤。

The situation remains unresolved as the judiciary evaluates the legality of the borrowing caps while Congress considers legislative remedies to expand degree designations.

目前情況尚未解決，因為司法部門正在評估借貸上限的合法性，而國會則在考慮透過立法救濟來擴大學位認定。