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As President Donald Trump’s administration redefines what degrees are considered “professional,” many graduate students are left with questions and concerns about how to fund their education.
The current list and definition of “professional degrees” used by the Department of Education excludes some professions such as nursing, but here’s what you need to know about which programs are on the list and what it means for students.
What is a professional degree?
This confusion and controversy stems from a 1965 federal law that defines a “professional degree” as “both the completion of the academic requirements for entry into practice in a particular occupation and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree.”
This definition lists the following as examples of professional degrees:
- Pharmacy (Doctor of Pharmacy)
- Dental (DDS or DMD)
- Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
- Chiropractic (DC or DCM)
- Law (LLB or JD)
- Medicine (Doctor of Medicine)
- Optometry (OD)
- Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- Podiatry (DPM, DP, or Pod.D.)
- Theology (M.Div., or MHL)
By definition, this list is not exhaustive and professional certifications are generally required as well, but past meetings of the Department of Education committee this fall to discuss student loan regulation and other issues have used an original description that included only these 10 degrees.
What degrees are not classified as professional?
Several graduate programs, including nursing, have been removed from the list of “professional degrees,” prompting a growing reaction from national organizations and groups advocating for a broader range of degrees to be included under that umbrella.
In an Aug. 28 letter to the Department of Postsecondary Education, the American Council on Education asked that the definition be changed to include programs such as nursing, architecture, accounting, occupational therapy, physical therapy, special education, public health and social work.
The American Nursing Association has also expressed concern about the current definition, with association president Jennifer Mencik Kennedy saying in a letter that excluding nurses “significantly limits access to critical funding for graduate nursing education and undermines efforts to grow and sustain the nursing workforce.”
“At a time when our nation’s health care faces historic nursing shortages and increased demand, limiting nurses’ access to graduate education funding threatens the very foundation of patient care,” said Menshik-Kennedy. “In many communities across the country, especially rural and underserved areas, advanced practice registered nurses ensure access to essential, high-quality care not otherwise available.”
How will it affect students?
This definition is currently being used in the debate over caps on student loans under the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Act, which could have a significant impact on how much students can borrow. The bill would eliminate the Grad PLUS loan program, which previously helped students pursue medicine, law, and other training-intensive careers, and cap the Parent PLUS program, capping it at $20,000 per student per year and $65,000 total.
Graduate students pursuing a “professional degree” on a defined list can borrow up to $50,000 a year and up to $200,000 overall. However, for students in graduate programs that are not considered “professional degrees,” the loan limit is $20,500 per year. Graduate programs are limited to a total of $100,000.
This means that students enrolled in programs that are not listed or defined as “professional degrees” may have lower loan limits when pursuing those programs. This financing change and overall adjustment to higher education finance and funding is expected to take effect on July 1, 2026.
This story has been updated with new information.
USA TODAY’s Zachary Schermele contributed to this report.
