A federal lawsuit challenging the Education Department’s new graduate student loan limits is set to continue through at least December as the court navigates motions for summary judgment and ongoing disputes over how ED defines “professional degree programs.” Plaintiffs—including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners—argue ED exceeded its authority by adopting a definition different from Congress’s. A judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Beryl A. Howell) put the department’s definition on hold last month, and ED later released a list of 29 programs considered professional while litigation proceeds. Separately, attention is shifting to a new accountability metric that could determine how soon some institutions lose eligibility to participate in federal student aid. The reporting points to data releases in 2027 and possible penalties beginning as early as 2028 for programs that fail the earnings-based test, a timeline that could tighten compliance planning for colleges and universities.