Education Secretary Linda McMahon faced sharp questioning at a House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing on federal loan caps, FAFSA operations, and civil-rights case handling. Lawmakers challenged the legal and administrative scope of McMahon’s shift of education responsibilities to other federal agencies and targeted the new regulatory definition of “professional student,” which affects graduate federal borrowing caps. Republicans praised McMahon’s management and fraud-prevention efforts, including claims that FAFSA processes prevented $1 billion in funds from reaching scammers. Democrats argued the changes were illegal and “seismic,” pointing to large numbers of pending Office for Civil Rights cases and concerns that offloading programs to other agencies has created inefficiencies. The hearing followed multiple moves by the Trump administration to reduce the Education Department’s footprint and shift responsibilities, adding pressure on institutions that must operationalize new federal aid rules and compliance requirements by July 1. For higher education leaders, the immediate practical impact is straightforward: graduate aid eligibility and regulatory definitions are being rewritten while congressional oversight intensifies.