Topline
Graduate nursing programs and other fields like physical therapy will once again count as “professional degrees,” allowing students to access up to $200,000 in federal student loans—but this could change in the future as the Education Department says it will fight a federal court decision blocking more restrictive rules.
The Trump administration previously limited students in graduate nursing programs to only $20,500 in loans per year, with a $100,000 maximum.
Getty Images
Key Facts
A total of 29 programs now qualify as “professional degree” granting graduate programs, according to a revised list issued by the Education Department on Monday, including degrees in physical therapy, speech-language pathology, physician assistants, athletic training and several programs for nursing.
The original list of “professional degrees” was limited to only 25 programs, including degrees in medicine and law.
Students attending programs for one of these degrees will now qualify for the maximum amount of federal student loans under the new rules—up to $50,000 per year, and $200,000 in total.
Students working toward all other graduate degrees will now only be able to access $20,500 per year, with a $100,000 total limit.
The rules previously excluded these degrees, but Judge Beryl Howell last week ruled in favor of a group of professional organizations who filed a lawsuit to block the new rules, prompting the Education Department to issue the revised list.
However, the Education Department has promised to challenge the ruling in court, insisting that Monday’s revised list was issued “solely to facilitate implementation” of Howell’s decision and “may change as litigation in the case proceeds.”
Surprising Fact
The Education Department also removed some programs from its original list of 25 “professional” status degrees, primarily theology degrees. However, at least two religion programs remained on the list with access to the full $200,000 loan maximum: a masters in divinity and a masters in rabbinical studies.
Crucial Quote
“America needs more NPs, not more barriers to educating them,” the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, one of the groups who brought the lawsuit challenging the original list of programs, said in a Monday statement on social media. “We will continue working toward a lasting solution that gives students the certainty they deserve and helps ensure patients have access to high-quality, patient-centered care.”
Key Background
The limits to federal student loans for graduate programs were outlined in President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” a large spending package passed last year. They were intended to address the ballooning cost for tuition and ongoing student debt crisis. Before the bill was passed, students were allowed to borrow up to the cost of their degrees. A group of professional organizations representing nurses, therapists and physician assistants challenged the ruling.