The U.S. Department of Education finalized new rules tightening federal student loan limits for graduate borrowing, including the sunset of Grad PLUS and a narrowed definition of “professional student.” The regulation takes effect July 1 and largely preserves a contested set of eligible fields after tens of thousands of comments pushed back on initial proposals. Under the final framework, only 11 graduate fields qualify for the higher annual cap—$50,000—with an aggregate limit of $200,000. Graduate students in non-listed fields face lower caps, $20,500 annually and $100,000 in total. The department’s approach is intended to comply with changes created by the latest congressional tax and spending law. Higher education groups and professional advocates criticized the exclusion of additional health and education-related graduate pathways, arguing it would worsen labor shortages. Association of Public and Land-grant Universities President Waded Cruzado called the final definition “profoundly disappointed.” In parallel reporting on the final rule package, additional guidance and repayment-option changes were outlined, including a narrower set of repayment plans and a shift away from older structures—while some repayment models remain tied up in ongoing legal challenges.