The U.S. Department of Education proposed major changes to federal student-loan eligibility tied to program outcomes, and critics warned the rules could weaken protections for students in low-quality career programs. Under the proposal, undergraduate and graduate programs would face an earnings test to keep access to federal loans. For undergraduate programs, the benchmark would compare graduates’ earnings to workers ages 25–34 with only high school diplomas in the same state. Graduate programs would be measured against workers with bachelor’s degrees. Lawmakers and higher-education experts said the proposal also seeks to alter or supersede parts of the Biden-era gainful employment framework meant to prevent students from being saddled with unmanageable debt. The public comment period closed after more than 10,000 responses, setting up a contentious rulemaking path for the next iteration.