Voters Generally Support Limiting Grad School Borrowing

Majorities of registered voters support limiting federal loans for graduate students and approve of a new federal earnings test, according to poll results released Monday by Third Way, Global Strategy Group and GS Strategy Group.

The survey sought to measure approval for higher ed provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Trump signed into law last summer.

When given two stances on grad loan caps and asked to pick one, 57 percent agreed with the position that “there should be a cap … because having access to unlimited loans inflates tuition, since graduate schools are free to raise prices if they know students will just borrow more to pay.” Forty-three percent agreed with the other position presented, that “there should not be a cap … because everyone, no matter their background, should have the opportunity to attend the graduate program of their choosing.”

Starting July 1, the legislation will cap federal loans for students in “professional” programs—the proposed definition of which is controversial—at up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. Grad students in nonprofessional programs will only be able to borrow up to $20,500 per year, or a total of $100,000.

The pollsters also explained generally to the survey takers how the Do No Harm federal earnings test works. Broadly, starting July 1, the test will require programs to show their graduates earn more on average than high school diploma recipients, or students attending those programs will be cut off from federal student loans. Graduate and professional program earnings would further have to exceed bachelor’s degree earnings.

After receiving the explanation, 28 percent of respondents said they strongly supported this test and 38 percent said they somewhat supported it. Only 19 percent said they somewhat or strongly opposed it, and 15 percent said they didn’t know enough to say.

“There is a real hunger among voters for the government to hold higher education institutions’ feet to the fire, and to push them toward greater accountability for students’ outcomes,” said Annie Norbitz, senior vice president for research at Global Strategy Group, which began as a Democratic polling firm but has broadened its scope.

Third Way is a think tank and advocacy group that says it hopes to empower the “center left,” while GS Strategy Group says it was founded by a Republican pollster and strategist.

The poll was conducted Nov. 4–9 and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, the surveyors said. Of those respondents who were eligible to vote in 2024, 42 percent said they voted for Trump, the same share said they voted for Kamala Harris and 15 percent said they either didn’t vote or voted for someone else.