₦airaland Forum

Students pursuing these 11 degrees will be eligible to take out up to $200,000 in federal loans under new borrowing limits

Tom Werner


President Donald Trump and his administration will begin imposing new limits for federal student loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.

Undergraduate borrowers will have the same current limit of up to $7,500 a year for dependent students, depending on their class year. But graduate and professional students will see new limits of up to $20,500 per year ($100,000 total) for graduate studies and $50,000 a year ($200,000 total) for professional programs.

Graduate PLUS loans, which previously allowed students to borrow up to their total cost of attendance, will be eliminated.

According to the proposed regulation, a professional degree “signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree.”

The Department of Education has named 11 degree fields that meet the requirements to be considered professional, and thus eligible for higher loan limits under the new rules:

1.Pharmacy (Pharm. D.)


2. Dentistry doctorate (D.D.S. or D.M.S.)

3. Veterinary medicine (D.V.M.)

4.Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)

5.Law (L.L.B. or J.D.)

6. Medicine (M.D.)

7.Optometry (O.D.)

8.Osteopathic medicine (D.O.)

9.Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)

10. Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.)

11. Clinical psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.)[/b]

The addition of clinical psychology came out of the department’s recent negotiated rulemaking session where stakeholders debated the loan limit rule and how it should be applied.

The department also said programs in at least 44 other fields could qualify if they meet certain criteria, including giving students a “level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree,” generally resulting in a doctoral level degree and requiring professional licensure to begin practice.

Potentially eligible programs include a number of other pharmacy degrees, clinical counseling and theological studies. Institutions are responsible for determining whether a program meets the requirements to be considered a professional degree or not, says Sarah Austin, a policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Professional organizations respond
Some professional organizations have expressed concern over the list of degrees eligible for the $200,000 aggregate federal loan limit and the Department of Education’s definition of professional programs.

“Despite broad recognition of the complexity, rigor, and necessity of post-baccalaureate nursing education, the Department’s proposal defines professional programs so narrowly that nursing, the nation’s largest healthcare profession, remains excluded,” The American Association of Colleges of Nursing said in a press release on Nov. 7. “Should this proposal be finalized, the impact on our already-challenged nursing workforce would be devastating.”

“Declassifying the [Master of Social Work] and [Doctorate of Social Work] degrees will reduce access to affordable social work education, thereby increasing reliance on high-interest private loans,” the National Association of Social Workers’ Florida chapter said in a press release on Nov. 20.

In a fact sheet released on Nov. 24, the Department of Education said, “The definition of a ‘professional degree’ is an internal definition used by the Department to distinguish among programs that qualify for higher loan limits, not a value judgement about the importance of programs. It has no bearing on whether a program is professional in nature or not.”

The intention behind the loan limits is to discourage borrowers from taking on more debt than they will be able to handle and to encourage institutions to rein in tuition costs, the department said.

The loan limit regulation is not final, however. The Department of Education will publish the regulation in its current form in the federal register in the coming months where the public will have the opportunity to give feedback before it becomes final.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/criteria-to-be-considered-professional-degrees.html

“The definition of a ‘professional degree’ is an internal definition used by the Department to distinguish among programs that qualify for higher loan limits, not a value judgement about the importance of programs. It has no bearing on whether a program is professional in nature or not.”

This is even more confusing and doesn't address concern raised in the previous thread https://www.nairaland.com/8568717/architecture-no-longer-considered-professional


Not only Architecture but the whole of Engineering, Environmental and related field courses are classified as non-professional courses in the USA.

No Accounting/finance and management course. No education and physiotherapy, Dietetics with nursing have lost out too.


Yet in Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, made it an all comers affair for every course and student in Nigeria. Thank you President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Fair enough.
@FreestuffsNG belle no sweet u as u post this news, lie say u no wish to be in a working system like US.
So why u still dey support Tilumpoo 😂

The PDFile has succeeded in AMASSING the most INCOMPETENT administration the US has ever seen.

It's the WORST administration in the tier of First-World countries currently.

Imagine designating Chiropractic and Theology as professional courses with access to Federal Fundings of up to $200,000 while Nursing and Architecture are left in the lurch.

MADNESS!

In fact, it should be a CARDINAL SIN to spend $200,000 to study The Bible.

The US has an AGING population that'd need PLENTY Nurses to take care of them.
Meanwhile, the PDFile and his army of MOWRUNS are making policies that'd make it HARDER for them to get that care.

They are actively ROUNDING UP foreign workers and scheming up new WAYS to make immigration IMPOSSIBLE for countries that are most likely to supply them with COMPETENT Nursing professionals.

At the same time, they are making it DIFFICULT for their own population to access funds that'll help them enroll in a field that is SACROSANCT to the welfare of the Nation.

Under this new policy, people who want to study Nursing would have to get their student loans from sources OTHER than the Federal Government.
Which means HIGHER interest rates.

Implication is FEWER people would be able to AFFORD a Nursing Degree. Which means FEWER Nurses. Which means the people who manage to scrounge for resources to study Nursing would demand the BLOOD of VIRGINS as their compensation.

The consequences of ALL that would be MORE EXPENSIVE Healthcare in a country that's already beetching about the cost of Healthcare.

NOT smart.

The man has finished US patapata.

Complete olodo.

Theology is a professional course in US? Wow

Just so you know; it's not free money.

In Nigeria ww lack medical practitioners both for export n local market but prioritize islamic studies because of extremism n hate.

They dun remove my profession from it. Where's Nursing? Trump and this administration are mad. Anyways, thank God it's a professional course here.

Chai the world have finally left Africa behind...US government is ready to give their own students up to 200k dollars but in Nigeria student's loans only exist on the paper

Myrrhis:
Just so you know; it's not free money.

It's stated and called LOANS.


Please, how else do you expect anyone to interpret what's called a loan sir?

Pejah97:
Theology is a professional course in US? Wow

Yes, pastors are more important than nurses.

CodeTemplarr:
In Nigeria ww lack medical practitioners both for export n local market but prioritize islamic studies because of extremism n hate.

Same in US.

Theology is a professional course.

FreeStuffsNG:
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/criteria-to-be-considered-professional-degrees.html

So the village idiot reclassify Nurses, Social workers and Architects as non professionals but on the new list of professionals you will find Theologians.
Truly a village idiot. Imagine some Nigerian people Messiah.

FreeStuffsNG:
It's stated and called LOANS.


Please, how else do you expect anyone to interpret what's called a loan sir?

Because it's easier to take than to pay back.

it is a serious matter. If them joke with IT courses, i go trek to america to come and fight for white house walahi!

Pastors can gather the money quicker than nurses.

Namaster:
The PDFile has succeeded in AMASSING the most INCOMPETENT administration the US has ever seen.

It's the WORST administration in the tier of First-World countries currently.

Imagine designating Chiropractic and Theology as professional courses with access to Federal Fundings of up to $200,000 while Nursing and Architecture are left in the lurch.

MADNESS!
In fact, it should be a CARDINAL SIN to spend $200,000 to study The Bible.
The US has an AGING population that'd need PLENTY Nurses to take care of them.
Meanwhile, the PDFile and his army of MOWRUNS are making policies that'd make it HARDER for them to get that care.

They are actively ROUNDING UP foreign workers and scheming up new WAYS to make immigration IMPOSSIBLE for countries that are most likely to supply them with COMPETENT Nursing professionals.

At the same time, they are making it DIFFICULT for their own population to access funds that'll help them enroll in a field that is SACROSANCT to the welfare of the Nation.

Under this new policy, people who want to study Nursing would have to get their student loans from sources OTHER than the Federal Government.
Which means HIGHER interest rates.

Implication is FEWER people would be able to AFFORD a Nursing Degree. Which means FEWER Nurses. Which means the people who manage to scrounge for resources to study Nursing would demand the BLOOD of VIRGINS as their compensation.

The consequences of ALL that would be MORE EXPENSIVE Healthcare in a country that's already beetching about the cost of Healthcare.
NOT smart.

Thanks for your observations and is well noted,bro 👏🙏.
•But most importantly is your mentioned of USA - Aging Population, which King 👑 -Trump,did not See or just ignored for his own reasons!
I always believe USA - will Correct herself - For It Has Very BRAVE INSTITUTIONS- TO DO SO,
•Fore Example - the USA Judiciary and the Bold Press - Journalists - who are Always Exposing Whatever Is Wrong In Government And The Society.
Kudos To Those USA Institutions 🤙.

Ok..Theology is now more important than Nursing...

I laugh..

Flangelo12:
Same in US.

Theology is a professional course.

Though wierd, tge remaining 9 are okay.

Why is 'Theology' on this list?

Nursing
Physician assistants
Physical therapists
Audiologists
Architects
Accountants
Educators
Social workers

No longer professionals.

It's unfortunate that Christain/Islamic religious knowledge were not included. Also fishery and animal husband were not also included.

Myrrhis:
Because it's easier to take than to pay back.

Smh.

You don’t even know anything about what you are typing on.

Student loan easily to pay back in US? Na wa o.

This is why Nigerian leaders don't take you serious because you didn't even know anything sef

FreeStuffsNG:
“The definition of a ‘professional degree’ is an internal definition used by the Department to distinguish among programs that qualify for higher loan limits, not a value judgement about the importance of programs. It has no bearing on whether a program is professional in nature or not.”

This is even more confusing and doesn't address concern raised in the previous thread https://www.nairaland.com/8568717/architecture-no-longer-considered-professional


Not only Architecture but the whole of Engineering, Environmental and related field courses are classified as non-professional courses in the USA.

No Accounting/finance and management course. No education and physiotherapy, Dietetics with nursing have lost out too.


Yet in Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, made it an all comers affair for every course and student in Nigeria. Thank you President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Cheap propaganda. People are wiser.

FatimaAbubakar:
Cheap propaganda. People are wiser.

Hmmm.

You want FG to adopt the Trump discrimination here in Nigeria and restrict student loans only to these courses too, abi?

It is like you want many parents and students to rain curses on you niyen o

We really love to concern ourselves with irrelevant things while ignoring the relevant stuff. Of what use is this news now to a Nigerian audience?

FreeStuffsNG:
Smh.

You don’t even know anything about what you are typing on.

Student loan easily to pay back in US? Na wa o.

This is why Nigerian leaders don't take you serious because you didn't even know anything sef

Did you even understand what I typed?

Lol. Trump the crazy man. So we engineers are no longer professionals.