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Professional degrees
Executive summary
The Department of Education has proposed a far narrower regulatory definition of “professional degree” tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a change that would make fewer graduate programs eligible for higher federal loan limits and eliminate Grad PLUS access for many students [1] [2]. News outlets and professional associations report that nursing, public health, and several other advanced health degrees appear to be excluded or threatened under the draft—raising immediate concerns about borrowing capacity for graduate students in those fields [3] [4] [5].
1. What the Department proposed — a tighter, criteria-driven definition
The Education Department’s draft ties “professional degree” status to several hard criteria: programs often must be doctoral level (with narrow exceptions), require at least six years of academic instruction (including two post-baccalaureate), be in the same four-digit CIP code as one of 11 explicit professions, and demonstrate that graduates are ready for professional practice beyond a bachelor’s level [1]. Inside Higher Ed reports the proposal would reduce the set of qualifying programs substantially by replacing broad, precedent-based judgment with checklist requirements [1].
2. Immediate fiscal impact: loan caps, Grad PLUS elimination, and RAP limits
Under OBBBA’s new borrowing framework, graduate students face lower annual and lifetime caps and the elimination of Grad PLUS; only students in programs classed as “professional” under the new definition would access the highest borrowing limits or the $50,000 annual professional-student cap under the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) [2] [6] [5]. Newsweek and other outlets say these changes mean tuition financing for affected programs could become materially harder for many trainees [2] [3].
3. Who is reported excluded or at risk — nursing, public health, and allied professions
Multiple outlets and advocacy groups report that nursing programs (BSN/ADN and advanced practice nursing), public health degrees like the MPH/DrPH, physician associates/assistants, occupational and physical therapy, and clinical psychology programs could be excluded under the draft or current agency lists [3] [4] [7] [8]. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health explicitly warned that the draft’s exclusion of public-health degrees could restrict access to higher federal loan limits and weaken workforce pipelines [4].
4. Conflicting statements and official pushback
The Department’s press office told Newsweek the agency “has had a consistent definition” historically and called contrary alarmist accounts “fake news,” asserting the consensus language aligns with precedent [3]. That statement sits against detailed reporting showing concrete changes to regulatory criteria and to lists of qualifying programs, creating a public conflict between agency spin and coverage of the draft rules [3] [1].
5. Scale and downstream workforce concerns
Industry reporting cites enrollment counts and program numbers to argue the stakes are high: Newsweek and nurse-focused outlets highlight that hundreds of thousands of nursing students are enrolled in pre- and post-licensure programs and warn that changing loan access could reduce new nurse graduates and worsen professional shortages [3] [5]. The ASPPH framed the exclusion of MPH/DrPH as “short-sighted and dangerous” given escalating public-health threats [4].
6. Where advocates are focusing their efforts
Professional organizations and stakeholders are urging public comment in upcoming rulemaking and asking the RISE committee to add specific CIP codes (e.g., physician assistant) and graduate health programs to the professional-degree list—suggesting the debate is still procedural and may change before finalization [7] [4]. Inside Higher Ed coverage shows the working group is actively debating legacy provisions and program-of-study definitions, a sign decisions are not yet final [1].
7. How the public should read social posts and summaries
Social posts and individual accounts amplify fears by asserting the department “reduced from 2,000 degrees to less than 600,” and claiming outright removal of many healthcare degrees [8]. That claim reflects real alarm but should be read alongside reporting of concrete regulatory criteria and agency denials—both are in the record [8] [1] [3].
8. Bottom line and what’s next
Available reporting shows the Department has proposed a stricter, criteria-based professional-degree definition that would shrink the set of programs eligible for higher federal loan amounts and remove Grad PLUS access for many—prompting strong pushback from nursing and public-health groups and ongoing negotiations within the RISE committee [1] [3] [4] [7]. Stakeholders should track formal rulemaking notices and submit comments; current sources indicate the debate remains active and outcomes are not yet final [1].