The Department of Education rejected a push to expand access to higher graduate loan caps, keeping the graduate-limit structure tied to how degree programs are categorized under the final rule. The policy maintains plans to categorize 11 degree programs as professional, which preserves access to a $200,000 limit. The decision lands as federal student-aid rules remain in flux after the changes were linked to provisions in a broad tax-and-domestic policy bill signed into law last year. For universities and students, the practical impact is straightforward: who qualifies for the higher borrowing cap continues to depend on the final program classification. The ruling is also likely to shape how institutions structure program portfolios and how financial-aid offices communicate borrowing expectations to graduate applicants. While details on the rejected proposal are limited in the report, the department’s choice signals that rulemaking revisions may continue to be tightly constrained rather than expanding eligibility broadly.