S2E81: PMHNP Student Loan Caps: What the RISE Rule Changes

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Grad PLUS is gone and nursing lost professional-degree status, capping loans at $20,500 a year. What the RISE rule and court fight mean for PMHNPs in 2026. In this Deep Dive episode, two hosts walk through “PMHNP Student Loan Caps: What the RISE Rule Changes” from the Psych NP Fellowship blog by Lindsay Hill, DNP, PMHNP-BC. Key takeaways: • Since July 1, 2026, new graduate borrowers are capped at $20,500 a year and $100,000 total in federal loans, and Grad PLUS is closed to new borrowers. • The Department of Education's RISE rule left NP and DNP programs out of the "professional degree" group that gets $50,000 a year and $200,000 total. • A federal court in Washington, D.C. partially blocked that definition on June 25, 2026, but the order is preliminary and can still be reversed. • The gap is $29,500 per year. Over a three-year PMHNP program, that is $88,500 a student may need to find somewhere else. • Practicing PMHNPs feel it too: a thinner new-grad pipeline, more preceptor requests, and tuition help showing up as a hiring perk. Read the full article: https://psychnpfellowship.com/pmhnp-student-loan-caps-rise-rule-2026/ Explore the Psych NP Fellowship: https://psychnpfellowship.com/programs/ This content is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized clinical judgment or supervision.