Buried within the “One Big Beautiful Bill” is what many see as a slap in the face to front-line healthcare workers. According to a November 6 press release from the Department of Education , nursing — along with several other health and education fields — has been excluded from the newly revised list of “professional degrees.”
The decision imposes strict caps on student loans for graduate-level programs. Students pursuing degrees not deemed “professional” by the federal government will be limited to $20,500 per year in federal loans, with a $100,000 lifetime cap. In contrast, students in approved “professional” programs — such as medicine, dentistry, and law — can borrow up to $50,000 annually, with a $200,000 lifetime cap.
Nursing didn’t make the cut.