New federal student loan limits threaten the supply of physician assistants, advocates say

Several lawsuits are aiming to get P.A. and graduate nursing programs included on the list of professional degrees eligible for higher loan caps.

If that doesn’t happen, Betsy Mayotte at the nonprofit The Institute of Student Loan Advisors said lots of students will have to take out private loans.

“And not everybody qualifies for a private loan. And even if they do, private loans don’t have the safety nets and lower payment options that federal loans do,” Mayotte said.

Mayotte said that may make some people opt out of P.A. and nursing degrees altogether and make others less inclined to take lower-paying jobs in rural areas where there is already a shortage of healthcare providers.