Degrees that are not considered "professional" under recent U.S. Department of Education regulations include nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, audiology, accounting, architecture, education, social work, and several public health degrees such as the Master of Public Health (MPH) and Doctor of Public Health (DrPH). These programs have been excluded from the official list of professional degrees, impacting federal loan limits and potentially reducing students' access to advanced education funding.

Examples of Non-Professional Degrees

• Nursing (all advanced practice levels, including nurse practitioner)
• Physician Assistant (PA)
• Physical Therapist (PT)
• Audiologist
• Architect
• Accountant
• Educator (including graduate-level teaching degrees)
• Social Worker
• Public Health (MPH, DrPH)

Degrees Still Considered Professional

By contrast, degrees that remain categorized as "professional" include medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, law, veterinary medicine, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, chiropractic, theology, and clinical psychology.

Implications

This distinction mainly affects financial aid eligibility, such as federal student loan borrowing limits. Many health and education professions argue that these excluded fields require rigorous advanced education and licensure, and that their exclusion may worsen workforce shortages and access to training. This change is scheduled to take full effect in July 2026.