Low-Earning Degrees Will Soon Lose Access to Federal Student Loans

Hundreds of thousands of college students are enrolled in degree and certificate programs that, under new federal law, may soon be cut off from federal student loans. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, requires colleges to prove their programs actually improve graduates’ earning power, and those that don't risk losing access to federal student loan programs.

The framework, informally called “Do No Harm,” sets a new standard: if a program’s graduates earn less than comparable workers who never attended college at all, the program can no longer receive federal loan funding.

The Department of Education has already released preliminary data on nearly 50,000 programs, and the results reveal a clear pattern of which fields are at risk — including some where a college credential is legally required to work in the profession at all.

Remember: It's not just about the degree (like B.S. Business). It's about the program and school (such as University of Vermont, Bachelor's of Science in Plant Sciences). It's individual programs and degrees granted by individual colleges that are at risk.