New federal rules cap amount prospective architects can borrow for education

The Trump Administration’s new rules on student loans put restrictions on architecture students’ ability to borrow money to finance their education and that will adversely impact the design profession, according to industry insiders.

The U.S. Department of Education recently revised its rulemaking. The Grad PLUS loan will be eliminated, and federal loans for graduate students will be capped based upon their degree program. 

Architects are no longer classified as “professionals,” disqualifying the field from an expanded loan cap. Starting in July 2026, the new rules state that those seeking a “professional” postsecondary degree in one of 10 designated programs (including doctorates or masters in certain medical fields, law, veterinary science, and theology) will have an annual borrowing cap of $50,000, with a lifetime maximum of $200,000. 

For all other graduate fields of study, including architecture, graduate loans will max out at $20,500 annually, with a lifetime maximum of $100,000. The American Institute of Architects released a statement saying, “Lowering the loan cap will reduce the number of architects who can afford to pursue this professional degree and harm American leadership in this field.”