The Yale School of Public Health has announced a new student loan program aimed at assisting students affected by federal changes to loan options. The announcement was made in a social media post on December 9, 2023, following the recent decision to eliminate the federal Grad PLUS loan program under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will take effect on July 1, 2024.
While details regarding the new loan program remain limited, the Yale School of Public Health stated that it intends to provide “comparable, if not more competitive, loan terms compared to previous Grad PLUS loans.” The institution expressed hope that this initiative will support future students throughout their studies and subsequent careers in public health.
The Grad PLUS program previously allowed graduate students to borrow up to the full cost of their attendance. With the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law last summer by President Donald Trump, significant changes to borrowing caps and eligibility will occur, potentially affecting millions of borrowers. Current students who have already taken out Grad PLUS loans will be grandfathered into the existing program terms, ensuring they retain their original borrowing limits.
Starting from the 2026-27 academic year, new students at the Yale School of Public Health will no longer have access to Grad PLUS loans. According to the admissions webpage for the school, there are anticipated changes to annual and overall loan limits, although the final guidance from the Department of Education is still pending.
Without the Grad PLUS program, graduate students will face borrowing limits of $20,500 per year, capped at $100,000 over their lifetime. For professional students, the limits will be $50,000 annually, with a lifetime cap of $200,000. Notably, the bill excludes degrees in nursing, social work, and public health, meaning that these lower caps will be applied to students in those fields.
The social media post highlighted the school’s commitment to addressing the challenges posed by the federal loan changes, captioned “Yale stepping up to fill federal loan gap.” The post assured prospective students that further information and application materials would be available soon; however, no additional details have been released since the announcement.
In light of the upcoming changes to student loans, the University is also grappling with cuts to research funding and an increased tax on its endowment investment returns. In early December, the University indicated the possibility of future layoffs as a measure to address budget shortfalls, adding further uncertainty to the financial landscape for both staff and students.
As the situation develops, the Yale School of Public Health’s initiative offers a potential lifeline to students navigating the evolving landscape of educational financing.
