A new research analysis says federal borrowing cap rules could constrain educator advancement into school leadership roles by limiting graduate-level funding for degrees tied to principal and superintendent pathways. The analysis points to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the U.S. Department of Education’s regulation implementing new federal student loan limits. The report’s central finding is that K–12 leadership credentials often require “stacked” graduate coursework, so even when prospective teachers remain below cumulative caps, the $100,000 aggregate cap for many “professional” graduate degrees can become binding for assistant principal and principal routes that depend on licensure requirements. The study argues the Education Department initially narrowed which degrees qualified as “professional,” excluding many education degrees, after which a June 24 ruling required the department to develop a new list. Even with the expanded list, the article says it still leaves out most education-focused graduate degrees. For higher education institutions that prepare school leaders—especially colleges and departments of education—the policy shift affects enrollment demand, program planning, and student financing guidance for licensure-aligned masters pathways.