If you’ve been anywhere near Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen the viral posts claiming that certain degrees — nursing, social work, public health, physical therapy, education, architecture, business — will “NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE” for student loans under the Trump Administration.
Let’s take a deep breath.
Those posts are misleading at best and flat-wrong at worst.
Here’s what’s actually happening, what’s good about the new law, what people should watch out for, and why so many are confused.
1. First, the Big Picture: What Changed?
Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — a massive federal package and within it was the restructuring of loan programs for graduate school.
The two biggest changes:
A. Grad PLUS loans are being eliminated starting July 1, 2026.
This is the loan program that previously let any graduate student borrow up to the full cost of attendance, even if tuition was $80,000 a year.
B. New limits are being placed on how much graduate and professional students can borrow.
Two tiers now exist:
- Graduate Degrees (most master’s programs):
- $20,500 per year
- $100,000 lifetime cap
- Professional Degrees (a narrow list):
- $50,000 per year
- $200,000 lifetime cap
That’s it. Those are the big changes.
Everything else in the viral posts are either misinterpreting or sensationalizing it.
2. So Why Are People Freaking Out?
Because the Department of Education uses an old regulatory definition of “professional degree” — and it’s tiny.
Only a few programs qualify for the higher $200k borrowing tier:
- Medicine (MD, DO)
- Dentistry
- Pharmacy
- Veterinary Medicine
- Law (JD)
- Optometry
- Podiatry
- Chiropractic
- Theology
- Recently added: Clinical Psychology
That’s it.
So programs not on this list — including nursing (MSN/DNP), physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, public health, social work, business master’s, engineering master’s, architecture, education, and many more — fall under the lower cap.
But they absolutely still qualify for federal student loans.
What they don’t qualify for is the higher cap reserved for the narrow “professional degree” group.
That’s where the confusion comes from.
3. What’s the Misinformation Claiming?
The viral images circulating state:
“These degrees will NO LONGER be recognized as professional degrees, therefore they WILL NOT be eligible for student loans.”
That’s false.
Those degrees DO remain eligible for federal direct loans — but:
- They fall under the lower cap.
- They lose access to Grad PLUS like everyone else.
- Students in high-cost programs may need private loans or other aid to make up the difference.
Again: not eliminated — just capped.
4. The GOOD News
The Gravy Boat of Unlimited Borrowing is Gone
For years, Grad PLUS acted like a blank check, and schools priced themselves accordingly. Tuition skyrocketed. Students borrowed far more than their future incomes could repay.
Capping borrowing:
- Forces universities to justify costs
- Reduces taxpayer exposure
- May finally slow tuition inflation
- Encourages students to think realistically about debt
Borrowers Now Have Clearer Expectations
Instead of a mystery pile of future debt, families can better map out:
- What they’ll borrow
- What they’ll need to cover from savings
- Whether an expensive school is worth it
The Highest Caps Remain Available for the Highest-earning Fields
Doctors, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, and lawyers still have access to the $200,000 cap, which aligns more closely with expected income after training.
(You may still need private loans for med school — but that’s always been true.)
5. The BAD or CONCERNING Parts
Some Essential Fields Got Let Out of the “Professional” Category
Nursing, physical therapy, public health, social work, and allied health professions require graduate degrees, are in national shortage — yet students in these programs get lower federal borrowing caps.
This makes no sense and will likely be revisited, because:
- We desperately need nurses and therapists
- Their graduate programs are expensive
- Their salaries, while stable, aren’t as high as physicians or lawyers
Students in these fields may turn to private loans
And private loans:
- Have higher interest rates
- Have no income-driven repayment
- Are harder to discharge
- Offer fewer consumer protections
Schools may still charge high tuition – even though students can borrow less
Some programs may shrink or shut down. Others may become financially out of reach for many students.
Many people simply don’t understand the new system yet
Fear + misinformation = viral chaos.
6. What Parents, Students, and Schools Need to Know
✓ Nursing? Still eligible for federal loans
But only up to the lower cap — which may not cover the full cost of an MSN or DNP.
✓ Pell Grants? No changes here.
Pell is for undergraduates only. Nursing students earning their first bachelor’s degree still qualify.
✓ Graduate students? Plan early.
The new caps will require more strategic planning:
- Scholarships
- Employer tuition support
- Military/VA programs
- State workforce grants
- Choosing cost-effective programs
- Personal savings / 529 plans
✓ Students starting BEFORE July 1, 2026 get transition protections.
Existing borrowers can finish their degree under the old loan rules.
7. Here is what we think at eye on jacksonville
We support transparency
The old system incentivized schools to raise prices without accountability. Student loans of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a degree in “gender studies” or some other crazy degree where no jobs existed were ridiculous and a disaster waiting to happen for the graduate. Caps force everyone to get honest and real about college debt.
We support clarity for families
No more “mystery debt” or teenagers accidentally borrowing $180,000 because the FAFSA let them.
We don’t support leaving critical professions out in the cold
Florida needs nurses, mental-health providers, speech therapists, physical therapists, and public-health experts. These programs should qualify for the higher professional-degree cap.
This is where public input, university advocacy, and industry groups need to speak up.
We definitely don’t support viral misinformation
Scaring people with false claims does nothing but create chaos.
The truth is complicated — but manageable.
We believe in old school tactics for college degrees
There was a time when people worked part-time, attended school part-time, and graduated with little to no debt. Maybe it’s time to resurrect that idea as borrowing limits reset expectations and being debt-free is cool again. Think about that idea and think also about going to trade school. Those jobs will be needed even if AI takes all the other jobs away.
8. Bottom Line
No, these degrees are not “losing student loans.”
They are simply being placed under a lower federal borrowing limit.
Yes, there are winners and losers in the new system.
And yes — Washington needs to fix the gaps that could harm critical healthcare fields.
But the sky is not falling.
Students are not losing access to college.
And once the dust settles, this may end up being a healthier, more honest loan system for everyone.
