Judge Blocks Trump's "Professional Degree" Loan Rule
A federal judge has partially blocked a Trump administration rule that would have restricted access to higher student loan limits for graduate students in nursing, physical therapy, public health, physician assistant programs, and other healthcare fields. At issue is the definition of "professional degree" under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which set new federal loan caps taking effect in July. Students in programs designated as "graduate" programs face a $100,000 loan cap, while those in "professional degree" programs face a higher cap of $200,000. The Education Department defined professional programs as pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, and theology leaving out nurses, therapists, physician assistants, speech language pathologists, and public health workers. Eight professional associations sued, arguing their students would be forced to either abandon their education or take on more expensive private loans. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell sided with the plaintiffs, ruling that the Education Department added "more stringent requirements" to the definition specifically, that professional degree holders must work free from another professional's supervision without congressional authority to do so. Howell also noted that restricting access to loans could be "detrimental to the public, particularly in underserved communities that may face a shortage of healthcare and other critical professional services." The ruling does not eliminate the loan caps. It blocks only the Education Department's updated definition of what qualifies as a professional degree. The department said it is "reviewing the order and will take appropriate action." A separate lawsuit filed by a coalition of Democratic-led states challenging the caps more broadly is still pending. Disclaimer: Video contains AI generated content. ---
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The change came after a federal judge issued a court order temporarily blocking a Trump administration rule that reclassified graduate degrees in nursing and other fields as nonprofessional.
