How New Federal Loan Limits Could Shape Nursing Programs

The Department of Education moved this week to counter a wave of online claims about how the federal government will classify nursing programs under new student loan limits taking effect next year.

The guidance, released in a post titled "Myth vs. Fact: The Definition of Professional Degrees", attempts to clarify how the term “professional degree” will be used under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and why certain nursing programs are not included in the category eligible for the highest borrowing cap.

The answer, the agency insists, has little to do with whether nursing is considered "professional" and everything to do with how federal loan limits have ballooned over time.