Education Department clarifies ‘professional degree’ definition
February 04, 2026
A recent notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) clarified the Department of Education’s proposed definition of professional degrees for the purposes of graduate student loan limits.
Accounting is among a long list of degree programs — including nursing and engineering — that is not among the 11 fields of study proposed to be designated by the department as professional degree programs.
The notice, published Friday, Jan. 30, in the Federal Register, said, in part: “The department notes that the term ‘professional student’ as used … is intended solely to distinguish those programs that we propose would be eligible for higher loan limits, as required by [H.R. 1, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act].
The designation, or lack thereof, of a program as ‘professional’ does not reflect a value judgment by the department regarding whether a borrower graduating from the program is considered a ‘professional.’ This NPRM only interprets the phrase ‘professional student’ as used in the context of the loan limits established by [H.R. 1].”
The Department of Education is accepting comments on the notice through Monday, March 2. Read more.
