A federal judge's order forced the Education Department to add nursing, physical therapy and other fields to the list of professional degrees eligible for higher federal student loan borrowing limits.
4:39 PM
Graduate students pursuing degrees in nursing, physical therapy and several other fields became eligible Monday to borrow higher amounts in federal student loans after a federal judge blocked part of a Trump administration rule that had excluded them from professional degree status.
The U.S. Education Department issued a revised rule on Monday designed to follow a judge's order from last week, officials told The Associated Press. The updated list now includes over 20 professional degrees that qualify students to borrow up to $50,000 annually, compared with the $20,500 cap for other graduate students.
Fields newly eligible for the higher borrowing limit include registered nursing, physician associates and speech-language pathologists. Under President Donald Trump's "one big beautiful bill act," which takes effect July 1, the department had initially defined medicine and law as professional programs while excluding nursing and related fields.
Federal Judge Beryl A. Howell froze the Education Department's definition of a professional degree last week, prompting the agency's response. The department called the change temporary while it continues to fight the court order. Undersecretary Nicholas Kent said in a statement that the agency disagrees with the judge's order but will comply.
"We will continue to make the case that the definition is both lawful and appropriate," Kent said, indicating the department plans to prevail in ongoing litigation over which degrees qualify as professional.
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