The U.S. Department of Education rejected calls to expand access to higher graduate loan caps beyond the limited set of programs designated as “professional.” Under the final rule, the department is sticking with 11 degree programs that qualify for the higher $50,000 annual professional-program limits and $200,000 aggregate cap. The decision continues to narrow borrowing opportunities relative to earlier hopes by educators and professional fields excluded from the definition, including areas that argued they require graduate-level licensure and carry workforce shortage implications. The outcome keeps the policy’s core fault line—what counts as “professional”—firmly in place, with practical effects for cost of attendance and graduate enrollment planning across institutions.