Students enrolled in certain degree programs may soon see reduced reimbursement support as the Department of Education rolls out key provisions of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. A major component of the plan ties financial aid levels to whether a degree is officially classified as “professional,” a shift that has caused alarm, especially since several widely recognized professional fields, including nursing, have been left off the updated list.
With college costs continuing to rise, tuition doubling over the last three decades, students in high-cost programs that are no longer considered professional could face greater financial strain. This raises fears that fewer students will pursue careers in critical sectors, including healthcare, education, and social services.
Under the policy changes, the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will replace existing loan programs. This includes the elimination of Grad PLUS loans and the introduction of new borrowing caps: $20,500 per year for graduate students and $50,000 for students in programs defined as “professional.” Because of this, the definition of a professional degree now carries major consequences for student loan access.
Several healthcare fields, such as nursing, physician assistants, physical therapy, and audiology, are excluded from the updated list. Other professions not considered professional include architecture, accounting, education, and social work. Additional fields reportedly excluded are engineering, business master’s programs, counseling or therapy, and speech pathology.
The American Nurses Association and American Association of Colleges of Nursing have voiced strong concerns, with AACN launching a petition urging the Department of Education to classify nursing as a professional program to support the nation’s healthcare workforce.
Loan and Degree Classification Changes
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According to Nurse.org, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) caps undergraduate loan amounts and eliminates the Grad PLUS program for graduate and professional students. Parent PLUS loans will also face new limits, and loan caps under RAP will depend on whether a degree is considered professional.
What Is a Professional Degree?
According to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, a professional degree signifies the completion of academic requirements needed to begin practice in a profession. It requires skills beyond those of a bachelor’s degree and generally involves professional licensure.
Such degrees are typically at the doctoral level, requiring at least six academic years of postsecondary study, including two years of post-baccalaureate coursework. They also fall under a specific CIP code aligned with fields listed in federal regulations.
Full List of Degrees No Longer Classed as ‘Professional’
- Nursing
- Physician assistants
- Physical therapists
- Audiologists
- Architects
- Accountants
- Educators
- Social workers
Degrees Still Considered Professional
- Medicine
- Pharmacy
- Dentistry
- Optometry
- Law
- Veterinary medicine
- Osteopathic medicine
- Podiatry
- Chiropractic
- Theology
- Clinical psychology
