A little‑noticed change in federal student‑loan policy will cap Grad PLUS borrowing and could sharply reduce the ability of medical, nursing and other health‑field students to finance training, educators warned. New annual and aggregate loan limits—$50,000 per year and $200,000 total for medical programs—take effect when Grad PLUS stops making new loans next July. Higher ed leaders and health‑workforce stakeholders say the caps risk narrowing the physician and nurse pipelines by shifting costs to students or institutions, potentially reducing enrollment in costly professional programs. The Department of Education’s technical reclassification of which graduate fields count as "professional" has also created confusion about eligibility for higher loan limits. Universities and health systems are exploring scholarships, partnerships and deferred‑payment models, but advocates called on Congress and regulators to reassess caps to avoid workforce shortfalls in critical health sectors.