A professional degree is a type of academic credential designed to prepare the recipient for a specific profession, typically requiring licensure or certification to practice. These degrees are generally conferred after completing a program of advanced study that combines both theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for professional work in a regulated field.
In the context of the recent changes by President Donald Trump’s Department of Education, the definition of a professional degree has been narrowed for the purpose of federal student loan policy. The department now recognizes only ten specific post-graduate programs as professional degrees eligible for higher federal student-loan borrowing caps:
- Pharmacy
- Dentistry
- Veterinary medicine
- Chiropractic
- Law
- Medicine (MD)
- Optometry
- Osteopathic medicine (DO)
- Podiatry
- Theology
This reclassification is significant because only students in these programs are eligible for the new, higher annual and lifetime loan limits ($50,000 per year, $200,000 lifetime). Graduate students in other fields, including nursing, are subject to lower caps ($20,500 per year, $100,000 lifetime).
The Department of Education clarified that this definition is strictly for loan eligibility and is not a value judgment about the importance or professional nature of other degrees. However, critics argue that the narrower definition could limit access to federal loans for students in other fields that also require advanced professional training, such as nursing, and potentially force them to seek private loans or forgo further education altogether.
The public will have a chance to comment on these proposed changes, and the Department may adjust the definitions or caps in response to feedback.