The Debate Over ‘Professional Degrees’ and What It Means for Student Loans
So, let me break this down in a way that feels like we’re just chatting about what’s going on right now, because the conversation around “professional degrees” has taken a surprising turn — and it’s creating real concerns for students planning their futures.
Lately, a lot of attention has been placed on how the Trump administration is redefining which graduate programs count as “professional degrees.” And this matters because the amount of money students are allowed to borrow — especially for high-cost graduate programs — depends heavily on this definition. The shift has been sparked by a decades-old description from a 1965 federal law, which says a “professional degree” is awarded after completing education that prepares someone to start practicing in a given profession, beyond what’s expected at the bachelor’s level. The law lists examples like medicine, dentistry, law, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, theology, and chiropractic programs.
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Now here’s where the issue really comes alive: even though the original list wasn’t meant to be exhaustive, recent Department of Education discussions have relied almost entirely on these ten fields — leaving out several programs that most people would consider professional, such as nursing, physical therapy, social work, architecture, and accounting. Nursing especially has become the focal point of frustration. National organizations, including the American Council on Education and the American Nurses Association, have publicly argued that excluding nursing makes no sense, especially at a time when the country is dealing with widespread shortages and increasing demands on the healthcare system. Leaders in the field have warned that limiting access to funding could discourage students from entering professions that communities desperately need.
This debate becomes even more intense when you look at how the new loan rules — part of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” — are structured. The Grad PLUS loan program is being eliminated, Parent PLUS loans are being restricted, and a new Repayment Assistance Plan will set borrowing caps: up to $50,000 per year for students in programs classified as “professional,” but only up to $20,500 per year for all other grad students. Programs not recognized as “professional” will also face an overall borrowing limit of $100,000, compared with $200,000 for approved fields. So if a student is pursuing a graduate degree in nursing or social work — areas that require deep training and serve public needs — they could be forced to borrow significantly less, even though their programs may still be costly.
Experts across education, healthcare, and policy have weighed in, and many argue that these definitions seem disconnected from today’s workforce realities. Some say the changes could reduce the number of nurses, teachers, and healthcare professionals entering the field, simply because the financial barriers will grow too high. Others point out that the list seems to favor fields with higher salaries or political influence, creating even more inequity.
All of these new rules are expected to take effect in July 2026, and until then, the debate over what should count as a professional degree — and who deserves access to higher loan limits — is only getting louder.
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