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description=North Carolina joined a multistate lawsuit challenging new federal student loan restrictions tied to graduate and professional degree programs. State leaders and healthcare groups argue the changes could worsen healthcare workforce shortages by making advanced degrees harder to afford.;
keywords=health, education, lawsuit, student loans;
author=Grace Hayba, WRAL health reporter;

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nc joins multistate lawsuit over healthcare student loan limits wral com nc joins multistate lawsuit over healthcare student loan limits north carolina joined a multistate lawsuit challenging new federal student loan restrictions tied to graduate and professional degree programs state leaders and healthcare groups argue the changes could worsen healthcare workforce shortages by making advanced degrees harder to afford posted 5 19 2026 8 41 19 pm updated 5 20 2026 8 04 37 pm related health education lawsuit student loans nc joins multistate lawsuit over healthcare student loan caps by grace hayba wral health reporter north carolina is one of 16 states suing the u s department of education doe over new federal student loan restrictions in the one big beautiful bill act the federal lawsuit was filed tuesday in maryland congress passed the one big beautiful bill act h r 1 in july 2025 which reduced the amount students could borrow in federal loans for graduate and professional programs graduate students would only be able to borrow up to 20 500 annually and professional students up to 50 000 annually starting july 1 2026 other wral top stories the lawsuit asks the court to block the new restrictions before they take effect on july 1 the doe s final rule implementing h r 1 narrowed which programs qualify as professional degree programs eligible for higher federal student loan limits the rule recognizes pharmacy dentistry veterinary medicine chiropractic law medicine optometry osteopathic medicine podiatry and theology the multistate lawsuit argues the doe unlawfully narrowed the definition of professional degrees in a way that excludes many healthcare and other professional programs that would otherwise qualify for higher federal loan limits the lawsuit claims the rule relies on factors congress did not intend it to consider while applying those standards inconsistently in an april 2026 statement the doe says the changes are intended to curb tuition growth reduce excessive borrowing and encourage colleges to keep program costs in line with expected earnings north carolina officials argue that the changes could make it harder for students to afford advanced healthcare degrees at a time when the state is facing a shortage of healthcare workers such as nurses physical therapists and nursing assistants north carolina attorney general jeff jackson said the lawsuit is not just a workforce shortage issue but also said it is a matter of respect this is going to have a dramatic effect on the ability to afford an education in north carolina in these medical fields said jackson we are going to prevail in this matter because the law is very straightforward if this rule goes into effect not only would it be unlawful but the consequences for our state would be severe while many nursing pathways are undergraduate programs state officials argue that advanced nursing and other healthcare graduate programs could also be impacted we have a very clear primary care shortage in 93 of 100 counties in particular in rural counties jackson stated doing something that makes it more expensive to go into healthcare and become a nurse or physician assistant is going to be very harmful to our state in particular rural north carolina according to the north carolina board of nursing s ncbon 2024 2025 education summary report 14 104 students were enrolled in nursing education programs statewide including bsn adn asn pn and dme pathways in december governor josh stein s office reported north carolina will face a shortage of nearly 12 500 registered nurses and a little more than 5 000 lpns by 2033 the american academy of nursing has formally opposed this decision prior to and after the final rule was released said debra barksdale president of the american academy of nursing the final rule from the doe would strip critical loan opportunities for nurses pursuing advanced degrees nurses who are educated to provide a higher level of patient care particularly in areas that are rural underserved and in desperate need of health services chileatha wynn president elect of the north carolina academy of physician associates supported the lawsuit stating most students are unable to work while completing the demanding academic and clinical training required to safely care for patients for many federal student loans are not a convenience they are the only pathway into the profession north carolina has 14 physician assistant programs and a current workforce of 9 600 physician assistants wynn stated that protecting the physician assistant pipeline is essential to meeting the needs of patients in states like north carolina the restrictions placed on federal loans for pa students is an unreasonably low threshold that would deter the next generation of pas and disproportionately affect students from rural working class and historically underrepresented backgrounds wynn said these are often the very individuals most likely to return and serve communities already facing severe provider shortages the lawsuit also challenges the grandfathering provision in h r 1 which was designed to protect students already enrolled in programs before july 1 students who transfer schools or temporarily withdraw and subsequently re enroll could lose access to higher federal borrowing limits unless a court intervenes the new borrowing limits are scheduled to take effect july 1 2026 2026 copyright capitol broadcasting company