Nursing Added to Interim Federal List of ‘Professional’ Programs

WASHINGTON — Graduate students in nursing and several allied health fields will once again qualify for higher federal student loan limits after a federal judge placed those programs on an interim list of “professional degrees,” temporarily blocking a Trump‑era rule that would have kept them under lower borrowing caps.

Judge Beryl Howell’s ruling halts the Department of Education’s revised definition of “professional degree,” which excluded nursing, physical therapy, public health, speech‑language pathology, physician assistant studies, and other health programs. Under federal loan policy, students in professional programs may borrow up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total, compared with $20,500 per year and $100,000 total for other graduate students.

The decision restores access to the higher limits for post‑graduate nursing programs, many of which exceed the previous caps due to clinical requirements and high tuition costs. Nursing organizations and allied health groups argued that the rule would have forced students into private loans or out of the workforce pipeline at a time of nationwide shortages.

In carrying out the order, the Department of Education updated the interim list of professional degrees. Theology programs were removed, lowering their loan caps, with the Master of Divinity remaining the only theology credential still recognized as professional. Department officials said the adjustment reflects the court’s directive but emphasized that the list is temporary.

The ruling does not settle the underlying legal dispute. The Education Department said it is reviewing the decision and expects additional litigation as trade associations and advocacy groups seek a permanent definition that keeps nursing and allied health programs under the higher borrowing tier.

The interim changes take effect Wednesday, July 1, and will remain in place while the case proceeds. Students entering or continuing graduate‑level nursing and allied health programs this year will be able to borrow at the restored professional‑degree limits unless a future ruling alters the classification.