Federal negotiators and higher‑education stakeholders have restarted talks on caps for graduate student loan eligibility, but major disagreements persist over which programs should receive expanded loan access. The Department of Education and advocacy groups are debating technical definitions and financial thresholds that would determine eligibility, with institutions urging clarity to avoid disrupting graduate enrollment and program financing. The outcome will affect graduate students’ borrowing capacity and institutional budgets, and could reshape program demand across professional and research graduate offerings.