Healey-Driscoll Administration Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Graduate Student Loan Limits for Health Care and Social Workers, Educators
Proposed changes would increase costs for 13,000 Massachusetts students, exacerbating health care, social work and education workforce shortages
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration is calling on the Trump Administration to reverse plans that would sharply limit access to low-cost federal student loans for graduate degrees in high-need, high-value fields including nursing, education and social work.
A proposed U.S. Department of Education rule set to take effect July 1, 2026 would cap federal graduate student loan borrowing at $20,500 per year for programs the Trump Administration does not classify as “professional.” This would impact many fields recognized as essential, including nursing, education, social work and others.
If implemented, the rule would affect approximately 13,000 Massachusetts graduate students each year, forcing many to rely on higher-cost private loans to continue their advanced program studies. Of those impacted, an estimated 4,000 residents could be unable to access private loans due to income or credit limitations, effectively blocking them from advancing their education and careers. The result would be higher student debt and deeper workforce shortages across critical sectors. For example, this rule would severely exacerbate workforce capacity in social services and health care as advanced professions in social work and nursing, like independent clinical social workers and advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), require master’s level coursework and degrees to become licensed.
“As the daughter of a school nurse, I know firsthand the critical importance of nurses and educators,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It’s insulting, reckless and simply wrong for President Trump to claim they aren’t professionals. This proposal will made graduate school more expensive, push students into riskier private debt, and deepen workforce shortages that directly harm our communities.”
“We urge the Trump Administration to reverse course on a rule that limits access to graduate education for fields that are crucial to Massachusetts’ economy, health and vibrancy,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “When professionals sign up to contribute valuable services to our communities, we should thank them, not put up barriers.”
The Healey-Driscoll Administration submitted public comment opposing President Trump’s proposed rule, “Reimagining and Improving Student Education,” citing its disproportionate impact on public-service professions and students attending independent, nonprofit colleges and universities.
“The Trump Administration continues to try and privatize student loans and make higher education more expensive, to the detriment of families, research and innovation and our economy. We want professionals from a variety of backgrounds ascending to leadership roles in our health care institutions, schools, and more, and restricting access to loans limits who gets these opportunities,” said Interim Secretary of Education Amy Kershaw. “We need to support those who are devoting their careers to serving others.”
“Simply put, these changes will hurt our workforce. While Massachusetts is focused on reducing barriers to employment, these federal changes will reduce accessibility for many Massachusetts residents to pursue education and careers, and, in turn, limit the state’s talent pool for in-demand professions while also impacting the availability of skilled workers that residents rely on every day like nurses, educators, and social workers,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones.
“Graduate degrees are a path to economic upward mobility, and our communities rely on well-educated leaders across a variety of professions,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “The Trump Administration’s limited definition of ‘professional’ will indeed leave us with fewer professionals in fields of great need, while saddling others with more expensive and riskier debt obtained through the private student loan market.”
“This proposed rule moves us in exactly the wrong direction at exactly the wrong time,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “At a moment when communities across Massachusetts and the nation are struggling with workforce shortages in critical health care fields, we should be opening doors for students who are striving to build on their expertise and serve at a higher level – not throwing new financial barriers into their path. Physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, counselors, and public health professionals are essential to our health care system. They deserve investment, respect, and recognition as professionals in every sense of the word.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 included that students pursuing “professional degrees” are eligible to access low-cost federal student loans up to $50,000 per year. However, the Trump Administration’s proposed rule excludes many graduate programs, including those that train nurses, physician assistants, and audiologists. The programs included in the proposed rule account for only two percent of all fields of graduate study.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration is urging the federal government to instead link enhanced loan eligibility to objectively defined high-need and high-value occupational fields, such as nursing, social work, and education and to ensure graduate education remains accessible for all students pursuing careers that generate future earnings sufficient to repay the relevant capital investment.
