Kansas City University President Warns New Federal Student Loan Limits Could Deepen Physician Shortage

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City University President and Chief Executive Officer Marc B. Hahn, DO, is raising concerns about how new federal student loan limits could affect medical education and worsen the nation's growing physician shortage.

In an op-ed published in The Hill, Hahn examines provisions of the 2025 budget reconciliation law, commonly known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which generally caps federal borrowing for medical students at $50,000 annually and $200,000 total. He argues that these limits may make it harder for qualified students to pursue medicine as physician shortages continue to grow.

"Medical education and access to care are closely connected," Hahn said. "When qualified students face greater challenges financing their education, communities may ultimately feel the effects through fewer physicians and longer waits for care."

Hahn notes that the United States is projected to face a shortage of roughly 141,000 physicians by 2038, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. He says the new loan caps do not reflect the rising costs of medical education and may disproportionately impact students from rural communities, first-generation families, veterans and others who often serve underserved populations.

While supporting efforts to improve accountability in higher education, Hahn urges policymakers to consider the long-term effects of lending restrictions on the future physician workforce and patient access to care.

"The decisions policymakers make today will help determine whether communities have enough physicians tomorrow," Hahn said. "We should carefully consider the impact these changes could have on patients, communities and the students committed to serving them."

Read the full op-ed here.

Elizabeth Alex
Executive Director of University Relations
816-304-9498
[email protected] 

SOURCE Kansas City University