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Starting July 1, 2026, student loans available for those in the fields of architecture and education, among others, will be reduced. This is due to these professions no longer being recognized as professional degrees by the U.S. government, which will limit the borrowing amounts for these programs, as selected by the Department of Education and under the terms of president Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
All previous loan programs will be replaced by the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), which will cap the amount that can be borrowed. According to the bill, “graduate students,” or “not professional students,” can borrow up to $20,500 a year, and up to $100,000 total. Meanwhile “professional students” can borrow up to $50,000 a year and up to $200,000 in total. Before this, graduate students could borrow loans up to the cost of their degree.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has strongly opposed these changes, as they reject the notion of architects not being professionals. “The title of ‘architect’ is earned through years of rigorous education, extensive professional examinations, and a demanding licensing process,” they write. “To classify otherwise dismisses the expertise, professional standards, and dedication that define the profession. Lowering the loan cap will reduce the number of architects who can afford to pursue this professional degree and harm American leadership in this field.”
Students in the medical and care fields will also be affected, as nursing, physical therapy, dental hygiene, occupational therapy, and social work will now be regarded as non-professional degrees as well. This has prompted the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to release a statement about the new potential denomination.
“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,” writes the AACN. “Should this proposal be finalized, the impact on our already-challenged nursing workforce would be devastating.”
Details on which degrees will be affected are not finalized yet and could change before the policy goes into effect. According to Newsweek, engineering, counseling or therapy, speech pathology, and a masters in business are also at risk at not being considered “professional,” and thus being ineligible for bigger loans.
Sources: AIA opposes federal policy failing to recognize architects as professionals; AACN Alarmed Over Department of Education’s Proposed Limitation of Student Loan Access for Nursing; Full List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin; Trump administration excludes nursing, teaching from ‘professional’ degree list. Here’s why
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