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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 2d

I spent all of last week sitting in on the Dept of Ed's rulemaking session concerning student loans.

Long story short, some progress has been made on smaller details, but major questions remain on key issues.

Here's a more in-depth rundown of the week's debates for all my fellow policy nerds.

ED Opens Door to Student Loan Cap Negotiations

The department made some progress toward its student loan overhaul in negotiated rule making, but big questions remain about borrower limitations and repayment plans.

www.insidehighered.com

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 5d

And here’s a check point story I wrote after the first two days of this week’s session.

ED Digs Its Heels in Over Student Loan Caps

As it currently stands, the proposal will designate only 10 degree programs as professional and eligible for the $200,000 loan cap. Higher ed experts hope the department will reconsider.

www.insidehighered.com

Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 5d

For context, here’s the primer I wrote coming into the week.

Grad v. Professional Programs a Key Issue for ED Panel

Professional programs get access to more federal dollars under a new law, raising the stakes for next week’s policy negotiation.

www.insidehighered.com

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 5d

The shift comes after a series of lengthy caucuses Wednesday and a tense discussion before the public where many questions were raised over what grad programs qualify as professional.

This definition is critical as it determines which students will have access to the higher $200,000 loan cap.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 5d

It’s day 5 and your favorite neg reg reporter is back!

For much of the week, it seemed ED was pushing to wrap up the student loan meeting and reach consensus by Friday.

But that changed this morning when the dept announced that the rule making committee will return at the beginning of November.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 5d

Trump is using employees’ automatic out-of-the-office messages to advance his political agenda without their consent.

“It’s just wild to see your name attached to a message that you had nothing to do with,” one staffer said. “It feels like a violation … you don’t have autonomy over your own words.”

ED Put Political Out-of-Office Reply on Staff Emails

One legal group is preparing to challenge the Trump administration’s action in court, staffers say.

www.insidehighered.com

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

ICYMI: I’ll be heading to the department soon for neg regs day 4, but in the meantime, let me catch you up on day 3.

Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

⛓️ Here’s your quick end of the day wrap up from @insidehighered.com re: student loan cap regulations.

Right after lunch, ED officials presented a new proposal that came from a long morning of negotiations behind closed doors. It was much appreciated but did not go without questions.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

Comments on this third version were limited, though mostly positive. But it will likely be rehashed in more detail tomorrow. It’s only day 3 so expect more changes.

Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

It seems to be on the opposite end of the spectrum from yesterday’s very narrow list of 10 programs. And some sources say it should include programs beyond just health care, like education and social work. But, remember it only lasts until 2027.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

Little had changed in the language. But officials said this version clarified that in order to qualify as “designated” the university could use marketing materials that clearly said the program leads to a professional license. They reinforced that this had to be done prior to July 4, 2025.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

So ED went back to the drawing table once again. At the end of the day, we wrapped up with a third proposal.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

Some panelists worried allowing anything other than formal reports would open the flood gates and defeat the loan cap’s purpose of efficiency and lowering college cost. Others said it would leave out key high-demand health care programs with inescapably high costs that otherwise meet the criteria.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

But the main question was what counts as designation? Is it limited to formal labels in government reports like IPEDS? (This was only possible for doctoral degrees like OT) Or could it include less formal descriptions in course catalogs or marketing materials for programs like social work?

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

The plan created an interim definition of professional that would last until June 30, 2027. It would allow any post-bacc program that met existing statutory standards, was designated as professional by the university prior to OBBBA and led to licensure to receive the higher $200,000 aggregate cap.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 6d

⛓️ Here’s your quick end of the day wrap up from @insidehighered.com re: student loan cap regulations.

Right after lunch, ED officials presented a new proposal that came from a long morning of negotiations behind closed doors. It was much appreciated but did not go without questions.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 7d

Tamy Abernathy, the dept’s negotiator came back from the caucus and said “there is a deal on the table, a compromise of sorts.”

But we (the public) still don’t know what that deal is. Abernathy quickly called a new caucus with the panelists that weren’t included in the first to give them a voice.

Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 7d

The committee members I heard from yesterday are advocating hardest for certain health care programs like occupational therapy, clinical psychology and masters in nursing to be added to the list.

The question today is will the Trump administration budge?

Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 7d

In summary, the dept drew a hard line, limiting the higher loan limit for professional programs to 10 degrees. But panelists were pushing back.

They held two caucuses and then proposed their own definition of who’s in and out at the end of the day. That’s likely what they talking about now with ED.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 7d

Here's a quick run down on where the conversation left off yesterday: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 7d

Annnnd we're back! The government may be in shutdown but negotiated rulemaking over student loans is still going strong at ED.

So far today, most of the committee has been in private caucus, likely discussing what degrees will qualify for higher loan caps. We're now over the original 30 min slot.

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 8d

I should let you write my posts 😂

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 8d

Stay tuned for more updates!

Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 8d

www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

www.insidehighered.com

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 8d

Here’s a few stories @insidehighered.com has already published about the issues on the floor:

Government Shutdown Could Delay ED Rule Making

Higher education experts and committee members say the plan remains uncertain, adding that a delay could complicate the department’s plans.

www.insidehighered.com

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 8d

I’m on the ground at ED for today’s meeting on new student loan regs. Here’s what’s happened so far:

The dept. said it will continue this week’s session even if the gov shuts down.

Officials have also drawn a hard line on the definition of professional, outlining an exhaustive list of 10 programs.

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