Congress Responds to DOE’s Proposed ‘Professional Degree’ Definition

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Urging the Department of Education to include nursing in the professional degree category, bipartisan advocacy emphasized the high cost of advanced nursing programs and the critical need for these professionals, especially in underserved areas.

Following the recent release by the Department of Education of its interpretation of "professional degree" under HR 1 that excludes nursing programs from the category and subjects advanced nursing students to lower federal loan limits, more than 140 members of Congress, in a December 12, 2025 bipartisan letter, urged the Department to include nursing in the professional degree category. Led by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA), the letter emphasized the high cost of advanced nursing programs and the critical need for these professionals, especially in underserved areas.

The DOE's proposed change has raised serious concerns among health care advocates and the nursing field, who warn that it could worsen workforce shortages and force students into riskier private loans.

Although not specifically related to the nursing field, this week also saw the introduction of two bills related to the issue.

Rep. Timothy Kennedy (D-NY) introduced the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act (H.R. 6574), which aims to establish equal loan limits for graduate and professional students. It proposes the higher limit of $50,000 annually and $200,000 aggregate for both graduate and professional programs, which could indirectly address concerns about nursing programs being disadvantaged under current rules. Also, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) introduced a bill (H.R. 6677) that seeks to reverse the reductions in federal loan availability for graduate and professional students enacted under HR 1.