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Which degrees did the U.S. Department of Education reclassify as nonprofessional in 2025 and where is the official announcement?
Executive summary
The Department of Education’s recent rulemaking process would sharply narrow which post‑baccalaureate programs count as “professional,” with reporting and advocacy groups saying that nursing and many other health and public‑health programs would be excluded from the higher loan limits tied to that label (e.g., AACN, Newsweek, NASFAA coverage) [1] [2] [3]. The department posted a formal press release about interagency moves on Nov. 18, 2025, and it has circulated draft regulatory text and a committee (RISE) consensus that defines a much smaller set of professional programs—those materials and coverage are documented in Department releases and higher‑education outlets [4] [5] [6].
1. What changed — headline: ‘Professional’ degrees shrunk to a short list
Reporting and organizational statements say the Education Department’s new proposal would reduce roughly 2,000 programs historically eligible as “professional” to fewer than 600, and that the department (via its RISE committee) agreed to recognize only about 11 primary programs (with a small set of doctoral exceptions) as professional for higher loan limits—an outcome that would exclude advanced nursing, many public‑health degrees, physician‑assistant programs and other allied‑health fields from the higher borrowing caps [7] [5] [8].
2. Which degrees are flagged as excluded — headline: nursing and allied‑health among those hit
Multiple outlets and professional groups report that graduate nursing programs (MSN, DNP, NP, CRNA, CNM) are not being counted as “professional” under the draft regulatory approach; public‑health degrees like MPH/DrPH and other allied‑health programs (occupational therapy, audiology, physician assistant) are cited as excluded or at risk in the announced proposal [1] [3] [8] [7]. Advocacy groups such as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and American Nurses Association (ANA) publicly criticized the department’s approach in coverage [1] [9].
3. How the department says it’s proceeding — headline: proposal, committee consensus, notice of rulemaking
Inside Higher Ed and other reporting show the department released a proposal and that a RISE committee reached a draft consensus on a new regulatory definition; that would trigger a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and a 30‑day public comment period before any final regulatory change takes effect [6] [8]. NASFAA and AAU summaries describe the committee process and its practical impact on access to higher loan limits [5] [3].
4. Where the official announcements and documents are — headline: ED press release and regulatory postings
The Department of Education published a press release announcing six interagency agreements on Nov. 18, 2025, which is hosted on the department’s website; that press release and the department’s posted materials are the primary official touchpoints cited by outlets covering the broader policy moves [4]. The draft regulatory proposal and RISE committee materials have been reported by Inside Higher Ed and university associations and are the places to look for the proposed definition and program lists [6] [5].
5. Conflicting statements and denials — headline: ED pushback on some reporting
Newsweek quotes an ED higher‑education press official who called some interpretations “fake news” and said the department has had a long‑standing definition that the draft language aligns with; that statement shows ED disputed at least some media summaries even while the internal committee and draft rules are circulating [2]. This means reporting and department statements diverge on scope and intent—readers should consult both the department’s posted materials and independent coverage [2] [6].
6. Practical effects to watch — headline: loan caps, workforce and timing
Analysts and professional associations warn that restricting which programs qualify as “professional” will curtail access to the larger federal loan limits established in H.R. 1 / the One Big Beautiful Bill framework, potentially affecting how many students can afford advanced practice degrees in nursing, public health, and allied health—groups like AAU, AACN, and NASFAA have raised concerns about workforce consequences and asked for more analysis [5] [1] [3]. The reporting notes that some changes would not be immediate and that rulemaking (notice, comment, final rule) remains the next formal step [6] [8].
7. How to verify and follow developments — headline: go to the source documents
For the official, primary record consult the Department of Education’s website: the Nov. 18, 2025 press release on interagency agreements is posted on ed.gov (that is the explicit ED release cited in coverage) and the department has circulated draft regulatory text and RISE committee materials reported by Inside Higher Ed and university associations—those are the documents reporters and stakeholders cite for the exact list and regulatory language [4] [6] [5]. If you need the precise program list or regulatory citations, review the ED proposal and the upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking referenced in reporting [6] [8].
Limitations and next steps: available sources document the draft proposal, committee consensus and press coverage but show some public disagreement from the department about media characterizations; the exact final list and the formal rule language will be in the department’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and any final rule—those are not yet finalized in the materials summarized here [6] [2].