On Jan. 30, the Department of Education (ED) released draft regulations to implement several student loan provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21). The draft rules address new federal loan limits, income-driven repayment plans, legacy provisions for borrowers with pre-OBBBA federal loans, and the definition of professional students and eligible academic programs. Under the notice of negotiated rulemaking, stakeholders will have 30 days to submit public comments.
The draft regulations reflect consensus language approved in November 2025 by the Reimagining and Improving Student Education negotiated rulemaking committee, which was convened to develop regulations implementing OBBBA student loan policies. The AAMC submitted a response to ED’s August 2025 notice to convene this committee [refer to Washington Highlights, Sept. 5].