91制片 Joins Ed Orgs to Comment on Professional Student and Degree Definitions
March 03, 2026
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Yesterday, 91制片 joined 12 other education organizations to submit comments on a proposed rule from the Department of Education (ED) to amend the regulations for the Federal student loan programs to implement the changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
As part of OBBBA, Congress established a new aggregate borrowing limit for graduate students depending on the type of program they are enrolled in. Individuals enrolled in programs defined as 鈥減rofessional degrees鈥� are considered 鈥減rofessional students鈥� and eligible for $50,000/year with an aggregate borrowing limit of $200,000. Students enrolled in other graduate or doctoral programs are considered 鈥済raduate students鈥� and limited to $20,500/year ($10,250 for part-time students) with an aggregate borrowing limit of $100,000.
The proposed rule details the definitions of professional degree and professional student and鈥攎ost notably for K-12 education鈥攖he definition does not include education, social work, occupational therapy and nursing. By limiting access to federal student loans, the new definitions could dissuade potential students from entering these programs and may result in less graduates qualified to fill critical vacancies in school districts, ranging from teachers to school administrators to SISPs. Further, it could force students to instead rely on private loans which are ineligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
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