Federal student loan borrowing limits take effect July 1 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, capping Grad PLUS borrowing at $100,000 for graduate degrees and $200,000 for professional degrees. Congress is now racing to carve out an exception for nursing education as lawmakers advance an amendment to increase borrowing limits specifically for master’s and doctoral nursing degrees. The policy shift follows elimination of unlimited Grad PLUS loans and is expected to reshape funding strategies for high-demand graduate programs. Nursing advocates and bipartisan lawmakers have argued that the cap could worsen an existing shortage of nurse educators and impair pipeline development. As the transition date nears, the amendment’s progress will likely become a bellwether for whether other health workforce programs can secure relief within the new federal framework.