Nursing students and other graduate students in specific programs can now borrow up to $50,000 per year from the federal government, a much higher amount than the Education Department had told them they could access in the wake of a new federal law that goes into effect July 1.
That law divided graduate students into two groups. One, the so-called professional students that include doctors and lawyers, could borrow up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total.
The second group was limited to $20,500 per year and $100,000 total. Groups representing aspiring nurse practitioners and others who fell into this nonprofessional classification sued to access the higher cap.
Last week, a federal judge in Washington ruled that the Education Department had overstepped its authority in creating criteria for professional programs. Judge Beryl A. Howell, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, called the department’s actions “puzzling” and said the plaintiffs would “suffer irreparable harm” without a stay that would keep the strict definition of “professional” from going into effect.
After digesting the stay for a few days, the Education Department last night issued an update confirming that it would switch some programs into the professional category, which includes nursing and certain advanced degrees in physical therapy and anesthesiology. It also signaled that it would continue to defend those criteria, which means that further legal wrangling is likely, which could end with certain programs losing access to the higher loan limits.
The department’s update includes a list of dozens of programs of study, divided into the two categories.
The ruling does not change the annual or aggregate dollar amount caps on borrowing for the two categories. It also doesn’t affect other changes that are happening tomorrow, like alterations to federal student loan repayment plans.
