Figures Introduces Bill to Reverse Trump Administration’s Decision to Lower Student Loan Limits for Graduate and Professional Education
September 1, 2026
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Shomari C. Figures (AL-02) introduced the Restoring Opportunity for Advanced Education Act, legislation that would expand access to graduate and professional education by reversing provisions in H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” that limit access to federal student loans for graduate and professional students
“Education provides a pathway to extraordinary career opportunities and often a strong future and should be open to all Americans,” said Figures. “With new restrictions on the amounts that students can borrow in federal loans, the President’s 'One Big Beautiful Bill' severely limits access to graduate and professional education to a select few who are able to pay for the cost — which can be hundreds of thousands of dollars — up front. My bill gets rid of the federal student loan limits set by H.R. 1 and will help ensure that graduate and professional education are realistic options for all deserving students."
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” imposed student loan borrowing limits on graduate and professional students and eliminated access to Grad PLUS loans for incoming graduate and professional students, forcing them to borrow through more-expensive alternatives.
Graduate students are now limited to borrowing $20,500 annually and $100,000 in aggregate borrowing, while professional students are limited to borrowing $50,000 annually and $200,000 in aggregate borrowing. H.R. 1 also imposes a $257,500 lifetime maximum on student borrowing across federal loan programs.
The current loan limits are already lower than the average total cost of a medical degree and legal degrees at many institutions. Additionally, H.R. 1 does not tie loan limits to inflation or take rising education costs into consideration, which means that as prices rise, the gap between the cost of a higher education degree and the loan limits will continue to increase, putting certain career choices further out of reach for countless students.
Congressman Figures’ bill repeals the annual and aggregate borrowing limits for graduate and professional students, eliminates H.R. 1’s new lifetime borrowing cap, and restores the Grad PLUS loan program. This would return the federal lending framework for graduate and professional students that existed before H.R. 1.