Nursing Degrees Removed From ‘Professional’ Classification Under Trump-Era Student Loan Changes
Nursing is no longer classified as a “professional” degree under new federal student loan rules implemented by the Trump administration, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from major nursing organizations. The reclassification, paired with the elimination of the Grad PLUS loan program for graduate and professional students, has raised concerns over how students pursuing advanced nursing education will finance their degrees.
The changes come as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s broader adjustments to federal student loans under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Under the revisions, nursing programs, including post-baccalaureate degrees required to become physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and physical therapists, are excluded from the category of “professional” degrees. The Department of Education also announced plans to eliminate Grad PLUS loans, which were designed to cover education-related expenses not met by other financial aid, and to cap Parent PLUS Loans, used by parents to finance undergraduate education.
The Grad PLUS loan program, introduced in 2006, will be discontinued, with the department citing concerns over “unsustainable student loan borrowing.” Under the OBBBA changes, set to take effect next summer, new loan caps for graduate students will be $20,500 annually, with a $100,000 lifetime limit. Professional students — previously able to borrow up to the full cost of attendance — will be capped at $50,000 annually, with a $200,000 aggregate limit.
“These changes are intended to prevent institutions from offering graduate programs with high tuition and a negative return on investment,” the department said in a news release. The agency also introduced a “new and simplified” Repayment Assistance Plan and updated the definition of what constitutes a professional student.
Historically, the term “professional degree” stems from a 1965 federal law, which defines it as a credential that signifies both completion of academic requirements for beginning practice in a profession and attainment of skills beyond a bachelor’s degree. Fields historically included under this definition have been pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, and law. Nursing and related health professions, however, are now excluded under the revised classification.
The redefinition has sparked concern among nursing organizations, which warn that the new rules could exacerbate the nation’s ongoing nursing shortage. Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association, told NewsNation, “I don’t know why we would take this away. So we have a looming nursing shortage even greater than before. This is going to stop nurses from going to school to be teachers for other nurses.”
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) also urged the Department of Education to reconsider the classification in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Under Secretary Nicholas Kent. “AACN is deeply concerned by the Department of Education’s decision to move forward with a proposed definition of professional degree programs that excludes nursing and significantly limits student loan access,” the statement said. “Should this proposal be finalized, the impact on our already-challenged nursing workforce would be devastating.”
In response, a Department of Education spokesperson defended the changes, stating, “This is not new. The department has had a consistent definition of what constitutes a professional degree for decades. The consensus-based language aligns with historical precedent. The committee, which included institutions of higher education, agreed on the definition that we will put forward in a proposed rule. Some institutions are reacting negatively because unlimited taxpayer-funded tuition is no longer available.”
With these changes, students pursuing post-baccalaureate nursing and other health-related professional degrees will face significantly tighter borrowing limits, raising questions about the future accessibility of advanced healthcare education in the United States.
