Nursing, accountants excluded: Here's a list of degrees Trump administration has not classed as ‘professional’

Several degrees, along with nursing, will not be counted as ‘professional’ by the Trump administration as part of the implementation of President Donald Trump’s 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (OBBBA).

The move matters as the Department of Education (DoE) is set to implement various measures and those doing high-costing degrees may no longer receive the same amount as their degree may not be deemed 'professional.'

According to News Week, nursing was not definitively listed as a professional degree in the regulatory definition of a professional degree (34 CFR 668.2) from 196 as the Department of Education.

The report said that architects and accountants are also not listed as professional degrees.

Meanwhile, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) expressed deep concerns over the Department of Education’s decision to move forward with a proposed definition of professional degree programs that excludes nursing and significantly limits student loan access.

“AACN recognizes that explicitly including post-baccalaureate nursing education as professional is essential for strengthening the nation’s healthcare workforce, supporting the next generation of nurses, and ultimately supporting the healthcare of patients in communities across the country.”

Degrees which are not classed as ‘professional’

— Nursing

— Physician assistants

— Physical therapists

— Audiologists

— Architects

— Accountants

— Educators

— Social workers

According to Nurse.org, the OBBA caps undergraduate loans and eliminates the GRAD PLUS program for graduate and professional students.

What are professional degrees?

As mentioned in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations professional degree, it is the one that signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor's degree. Professional licensure is also generally required.

— Is generally at the doctoral level, and that requires at least six academic years of postsecondary education coursework for completion, including at least two years of post-baccalaureate level coursework.

— Generally requires professional licensure to begin practice; and (iv) Includes a four-digit program CIP code, as assigned by the institution or determined by Secretary, in the same intermediate group as the fields listed in paragraph (2)(i) of this definition.

List of professional degrees

— Medicine

— Pharmacy

— Dentistry

— Optometry

— Law

— Veterinary medicine

— Osteopathic medicine

— Podiatry

— Chiropractic

— Theology

— Clinical psychology