California, other states sue over new Trump limits on loans for nurses, PAs, therapists

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

California and a coalition of other Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration over new limits on federal borrowing by aspiring nurses, physician’s assistants, therapists, social workers, mental health practitioners and other healthcare workers, arguing the changes will further reduce a struggling but vital workforce.“This case is about protecting access to education, protecting our healthcare workforce, and protecting patients who rely on these providers every single day,” California Atty.Gen.

Rob Bonta said during a virtual news conference Tuesday.“The Trump administration is going out of its way to make it harder and more expensive for students to pursue the advanced degrees necessary to serve their communities and pursue meaningful careers that allow them to support themselves and their families.”Bonta said the new limits on loans sought by nursing and other healthcare students — which the U.S.

Department of Education initiated in response to Republicans passing broader student loan caps as part of last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” — was an illegal overreach by the agency that was “deeply shortsighted” and went beyond the scope of the legislation.“Congress can act,” he said.“But what the Department of Education can’t do is — contrary to law and in an arbitrary and capricious way and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act — redefine what a professional student is.”In response to the litigation, Trump administration officials defended the new rules, saying they will help student borrowers in the long run by driving down schooling costs at universities nationwide and preventing them from taking on too much debt.

California Grant money had gone toward lab upgrades, paid undergraduate research grants and grad-school fellowships that benefited all students.“After decades of unchecked student loan borrowing that ga...