U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon faced sharp questioning in a House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing focused on the department’s implementation of new federal graduate student loan caps and its civil-rights enforcement record. McMahon defended the agency’s changes as aimed at lowering costs and streamlining operations. Lawmakers pressed for answers on the department’s handling of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including its fraud-prevention efforts, and on how the department is managing Office for Civil Rights (OCR) caseloads and investigative backlogs. Democrats characterized the reorganization of education responsibilities across other federal agencies as “seismic changes” and argued they produced chaos and inefficiencies. The hearing also centered on a new regulatory definition of “professional student,” which expands borrowing limits for graduate programs in 11 fields while excluding other graduate disciplines from the higher cap. The loan-cap changes are set to take effect July 1 with limited exceptions. Separately, members of Congress and the administration continued to clash over whether statutory authority and process were followed in moving education functions and programs. The exchange underscores how higher ed’s regulatory ecosystem for financial aid and compliance is becoming a central battleground in 2026.