The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule would tighten federal student-loan eligibility through new earnings tests, with undergraduate programs measured against earnings of peers with only a high school diploma in their state. Under the proposal, programs that fail to demonstrate an “earnings bump” could lose eligibility for federal student aid. Critics warned the proposal would also weaken Biden-era gainful employment protections designed to prevent career education programs from saddling students with debt they can’t repay. The public comment period closed after more than 10,000 responses. Lawmakers including House Education Committee ranking Democrat Bobby Scott and other members urged the department to “do more” to protect students from low-quality programs and to show it can oversee the changes effectively before they reshape consumer protections.