Federal Policy Strips Professional Status From Key Graduate Fields Including Nursing, Public Health, and Social Work

The U.S. Department of Education’s recent proposal to redefine what qualifies as a professional degree is sparking widespread concern across several graduate-level fields. While early attention focused heavily on nursing, new information shows that many other advanced programs may also lose key federal benefits under the updated classification.

Reports show that graduate nursing programs including the Master of Science in Nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, and even research-focused nursing doctorates would no longer fall under the professional degree category. This shift means students in these programs would no longer qualify for the higher loan limits historically available to professional degree students.

But nursing is only one part of the story. Public health degrees such as the Master of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health are also being excluded from the professional category. Leaders in the field warn that limiting federal loan access for these programs could directly affect the country’s public health workforce and weaken pipelines for epidemiologists, community health specialists, and public health researchers.

Social work programs are facing similar concerns. The Master of Social Work, a core graduate degree for training clinical social workers, therapists, and case managers, appears to be classified as non professional under the proposal. Leaders in the profession fear that reduced financial aid options could discourage future social workers at a time when demand for mental health and social support services continues to rise.

Students in allied health fields such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, and related professions could also be affected. Many of these programs require intensive graduate-level training and play vital roles in rehabilitation and patient care across the country.

Under the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill loan structure, students in these newly reclassified programs would face significantly lower annual and lifetime borrowing limits. Critics argue that tightening access to graduate education could worsen existing shortages across healthcare and social service fields.

Advocacy groups across nursing, public health, social work, and allied health are urging the Department of Education to reconsider, warning that these changes could weaken the nation’s ability to train and maintain a strong and diverse workforce.