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Is education degrees part of the change in 2026?
Executive summary
The Department of Education’s recent rulemaking tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will change which graduate programs count as “professional degrees,” and those changes are scheduled to take effect for the 2026–27 award year beginning July 1, 2026 [1] [2]. Under the new approach, annual loan caps will shift—graduate students to $20,500 per year (aggregate $100,000) and students in programs defined as “professional” to $50,000 per year (aggregate $200,000)—while Grad PLUS loans are set to be terminated starting July 1, 2026 [1] [3].
1. What the 2026 change actually does: tightening the “professional” label
The Department and its RISE committee produced a narrower regulatory definition of “professional degree program,” reducing the set of programs eligible for the higher professional loan limits and thereby shrinking the number of degrees that qualify as professional under federal loan rules [3] [1]. The practical result is fewer programs will be eligible for the larger $50,000 annual / $200,000 aggregate professional-student limits; many graduate programs will instead fall under the lower graduate limits [1].
2. Which loan rules flip on July 1, 2026 — and why it matters
Starting July 1, 2026, the OBBBA-driven rules assign different loan caps: graduate students face $20,500 annual limits (aggregate $100,000), professional-degree students $50,000 annually (aggregate $200,000), and the Grad PLUS program is terminated—removing a common backstop many graduate/professional students used to cover tuition and living costs [1] [3]. Because Grad PLUS disappears and loan eligibility narrows, students in programs no longer classed as “professional” could lose access to both higher unsubsidized limits and the old Grad PLUS borrowing avenue [3] [2].
3. Which fields are explicitly in dispute — nursing, public health, and allied health
Multiple organizations and outlets report that nursing (including advanced nursing degrees), public health (MPH, DrPH), physician assistant, occupational therapy, audiology and other health professions are among programs at risk of losing “professional” status under the proposed definition; this has prompted industry pushback about workforce impacts [4] [5] [6] [7]. Newsweek, the American Public Health Association, and others highlighted that excluding these degrees could limit students’ loan access and make high-cost health training harder to afford [5] [6] [8].
4. Reactions and competing perspectives: regulators vs. institutions
The Education Department and the RISE committee framed the redefinition as a deliberate narrowing to implement OBBBA’s loan-limit framework; negotiators say the list of recognized professional programs was narrowed to about 11 primary fields plus certain doctorates [3]. Universities, associations such as the American Nurses Association, public-health schools, and professional groups argue that the change removes critical financial support for workforce-essential degrees and will harm access and public health [5] [6] [9]. NASFAA and AAU coverage documents the negotiation process and underscores that final rules were still pending, leaving implementation details and legacy provisions under discussion [10] [2].
5. What’s still unresolved — timing, legacy loans, and lawsuits
Reporting emphasizes that final regulations were expected in early 2026 and that answers on legacy eligibility (which loans count as “made” before July 1, 2026) and other details remain tentative; the Department used the 2023 rule as a base, but parts of that rule (notably SAVE repayment plan provisions) face lawsuits that could affect outcomes [1] [2]. Negotiators flagged the need to clarify program-of-study and legacy Parent PLUS issues because institutions are already enrolling students for 2026–27 [10].
6. How to interpret these developments if you’re a student or institution
If you’re a current or prospective graduate student, understand that program classification will determine whether you can access the higher professional loan cap vs. the lower graduate limits, and that Grad PLUS will no longer be available as of July 1, 2026 [1] [3]. Institutions and students should watch for the forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and public comment period referenced by public-health advocates [6], and follow NASFAA and AAU guidance for legacy eligibility discussions [2] [3].
Limitations: available sources cover the RISE committee’s consensus draft, reported impacts on specific fields, the new loan limits, and the July 1, 2026 implementation timeline, but final regulatory text and any post-public-comment changes were not in these materials; therefore, final program lists and detailed legacy rules were “not found in current reporting” [1] [2].