On March 3, a coalition of 24 state attorneys general and two governors issued a comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education opposing a proposed rule implementing changes to federal student lending under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted in July 2025 (covered by InfoBytes here), specifically objecting to the rule’s narrowed definition of “professional degree.” The letter explained that the rule would restrict higher borrowing caps to a narrow list of degrees, thereby excluding many graduate health programs such as nursing and physical therapy. The coalition warned that limiting access to higher federal loan amounts could harm states by worsening existing healthcare workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The letter argued this approach violates Congress’s intent by converting an illustrative list into an exclusive set of eligible degrees. The coalition further contended that post-baccalaureate health professionals fall squarely within the statutory definition.
The letter asserted that, by “forcing” students to rely on private loans, the rule would discourage enrollment in high-need graduate health programs and reduce the number of qualified faculty, further constraining training capacity. The coalition contended that the department overlooked healthcare demand and operational realities, such as high clinical training costs and mandated low faculty-to-student ratios, which render tuition cuts impractical. They urged the department to abandon its narrowed definition and adopt one that encompasses the full range of degrees they assert was intended by Congress.
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