Overview
- As part of implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Department of Education adopted a committee-backed definition that excludes nursing from programs eligible for higher 'professional' lending thresholds.
- Under the Repayment Assistance Plan, professional programs allow borrowing up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 lifetime, while other graduate students are capped at $20,500 annually and $100,000 total.
- Medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, chiropractic, theology and clinical psychology remain classified as professional; nursing, physician assistants, physical therapy and audiology are excluded.
- The American Nurses Association and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing urge reversal, warning that lower caps could deter advanced practice and faculty training and constrain care in rural and underserved communities.
- The Department says the definition aligns with historical precedent and will be proposed in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for public comment, with final rules expected in 2026 and changes taking effect July 1, 2026.