By COLLIN BINKLEY and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
A coalition of nursing and other health care organizations are pushing back against a Trump administration plan that could limit access to student loans in some cases. Students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy and some other fields would face tighter federal student loan limits under the plan because it doesn't consider them professional programs. The revamp is part of an overhaul passed by Congress in Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." Under current rules, graduate students can borrow loans up to the cost of their degree. But the new rules would set caps depending on whether the degree is considered a graduate or professional program. The Trump administration believes the changes could reduce tuition costs.
The Trump administration has agreed to resume student loan forgiveness for an estimated 2.5 million borrowers who are enrolled in certain in certain federal repayment plans following a lawsuit from the American Federation of Teachers. Under the agreement reached Friday between the teachers union and the administration, the Education Department will provide loan forgiveness for those eligible in certain repayment plans that offer lower monthly payments based on a borrower's earnings. The government had stopped providing forgiveness under those plans based on its interpretation of a different court decision.
President-elect Donald Trump has not said what he would do on student loan forgiveness, leaving millions of borrowers facing uncertainty over what will happen with their payments once President Joe Biden leaves office. Biden promised the student loan cancellation program during his run for the presidency and Trump has criticized his efforts. From its launch, Biden's loan forgiveness faced relentless pushback from Republican opponents. They say it heaps advantage on elites and comes at the expense of those who repaid their loans or did not attend college. Borrowers around the country are worried, student loan experts say.
A federal judge in Missouri put a temporary hold on President Joe Biden's latest student loan cancellation plan on Thursday, slamming the door on hope it would move forward after another judge allowed a pause to expire. Just as it briefly appeared the Biden administration would have a window to push its plan forward, U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp in Missouri quickly granted an injunction blocking any widespread cancellation. Six Republican-led states requested the injunction just hours earlier, after a federal judge in Georgia decided not to extend a separate order blocking the plan. The Education Department vowed to defend its proposal in court.
The White House is moving forward with a proposal that would lower student debt payments for millions of Americans now and in the future. It's offering a new route to repay federal loans under far more generous terms. President Joe Biden announced the plan in August, but it was overshadowed by his sweeping plan to slash or eliminate student debt for 40 million Americans. Education Department officials on Tuesday called the new plan a "student loan safety net" that'll prevent borrowers from getting overloaded with debt. The Democratic president is moving forward with the repayment plan even as his one-time debt cancellation faces an uncertain fate before the Supreme Court.
