Policy proposals to eliminate the Graduate PLUS program and impose lifetime federal borrowing caps — $200,000 for a narrow set of 'professional degrees' and $100,000 for most other graduate students — would substantially change graduate financing and access, analysts say. Commentary and analysis conclude the caps risk creating a two‑tiered talent pipeline that privileges higher‑income households and established professions over licensure-dependent fields like advanced nursing, social work and public health. Under the proposed framework, merit and labor-market needs would be decoupled from borrowing limits, potentially forcing students to seek costly private loans or abandon degree completion. Observers note the policy discriminates by credential prestige rather than workforce shortage and may shift costs to private markets with fewer consumer protections. University leaders in professional and public-service programs face enrollment, affordability and workforce-supply implications. Provosts, deans and financial-aid offices will need to model impacts on recruitment, retention and graduate workforce pipelines if caps become law.