State-based graduate lending programs are expanding as federal Grad PLUS loans wind down. Colleges began calling state financing partners after the government announced the sunsetting of the federal loan program effective July 1, raising concerns about access to graduate education—especially in health-care fields. Nonprofit state lenders, often created for affordable lending without shareholder pressure, are responding by expanding program capacity and creating profession-specific loan products. They are also adjusting lending requirements, including options that avoid co-signers, while acknowledging they cannot fully replace the scale of Grad PLUS. The article highlights the gap left by Grad PLUS lending totals of about $15.5 billion in the 2024-25 academic year, signaling potential pressure points for graduate enrollment planning and student aid packaging in the coming term.