"More than a week after the Department of Education expanded the list of degree programs eligible for higher loan limits after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act took effect on July 1, several trade associations and legal experts say the latest expansion is not enough," Inside Higher Ed reports.

... "In the meantime, financial aid administrators warn that the shifting definitions and uncertainty about what’s ahead put both students and administrators in a difficult position."

"'My first reaction wasn’t even about who was on the list and who was not; it was just about its temporary nature,' said Jill Desjean, director of policy analysis at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, adding that she’s focused on figuring out the operational side of things and what happens if students in certain programs end up with more or less loan access as court proceedings continue to unfold."

"The last thing financial aid administrators want, Desjean said, is for students to think they can finance their education going into a degree program, only to learn midway through that they don’t have the funding they need."

"'Some debt without a degree is the worst position to be in,' she said. 'So we really just want to make sure that students are fully aware and not just like, ‘Woo hoo, there’s a new loan limit!’ But rather that this isn’t a full-on victory right now. This is a temporary, potential victory.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 7/9/2026