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Department of Education Releases New List of Professional Graduate Programs - Nursing Still Left Out

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  Published in Business and Finance on Tuesday, November 25th 2025 at 16:22 GMT by Investopedia

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The Department of Education Releases a New List of Professional Graduate Programs – Nursing Still Left Out

On April 12th, 2023 the U.S. Department of Education announced a definitive list of professional graduate programs that qualify for certain types of federal student aid. While the move is widely celebrated by law, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy students, the announcement also revealed a striking omission: nursing programs were never listed as “professional graduate” programs. This distinction has immediate implications for students, financial aid offices, and the broader conversation about how the federal government defines professional education.

What Is a “Professional Graduate” Program?

Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Department of Education has the authority to designate certain graduate programs as “professional” for the purpose of determining eligibility for federal student loans and other aid. Historically, this designation has been tied to the potential earnings of graduates, the length of the program, and the professional nature of the work performed. The designation also matters for eligibility for loan forgiveness programs such as the Health Professions Loan Repayment Program and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) initiative.

The new list, published in the Federal Register (Vol. 88, No. 42, April 11, 2023), lists 22 programs. These include:

1. Law (Juris Doctor, LL.M.)
2. Medical and Health Sciences (M.D., D.O., M.D.-Ph.D., M.S. in Clinical Research, etc.)
3. Dentistry (D.D.S., D.M.D.)
4. Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
5. Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
6. Optometry (O.D.)
7. Ophthalmology (M.D., M.O.)
8. Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.)
9. Surgery (M.S., M.S. in Surgical Science, etc.)
10. Dental Surgery (D.D.S., D.M.D.)

…and more niche areas such as Clinical Psychology, Speech-Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, and Audiology. These 22 programs have been explicitly recognized as professional graduate programs for the past decade, and the Department’s current release confirms that recognition for the upcoming fiscal year.

Why Nursing Was Never Listed

Nursing, despite being a highly regulated and demanding profession, has never appeared on the federal “professional graduate” list. Several factors explain this omission:

1. Historical Categorization: The federal definition of a professional graduate program has traditionally focused on programs that require a master’s degree or higher and involve a licensing or certification process directly tied to a specific profession. Nursing programs, especially the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), are categorized as professional programs, but they have not historically been listed under the higher education loan programs that use the federal list.

2. Different Funding Streams: Many nursing students rely on the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program and other specialty-specific repayment initiatives rather than the broader federal loan framework. The NHSC specifically targets primary care, underserved area nursing, and rural nursing, and its criteria differ from the Department’s “professional graduate” designation.

3. Policy Oversight: Over the years, policymakers have largely treated nursing as a “health profession” that falls under the umbrella of health-related fields but not as part of the specific professional graduate list that governs loan eligibility. The omission has not caused a statutory conflict but has led to confusion among students seeking federal aid.

The Department’s announcement clarified that nursing “was never included” as a professional graduate program in the sense of the list that governs eligibility for Direct Graduate PLUS Loans and certain other federal programs. The clarification was not a change to the law but a reiteration of an existing policy.

What This Means for Nursing Students

The absence of nursing from the list can have a few practical consequences:

• Direct Graduate PLUS Loans: While nursing students can still obtain these loans, they are not automatically qualified for the same interest rate and repayment options as students in the listed professional programs. Nursing students must often rely on private lenders or state-level assistance.

• Loan Forgiveness Eligibility: The Department’s list influences eligibility for certain loan forgiveness programs. Nursing students may not qualify for specific forgiveness programs tied to “professional graduate” status, unless they meet alternative criteria (e.g., public service or community health work).

• Financial Aid Planning: Colleges and financial aid offices now have a clear baseline: if a program is not on the list, students should be directed to alternative aid options and be made aware of any potential gaps in federal funding.

Despite these hurdles, nursing students continue to receive robust support from state programs, employer sponsorships, and specialty loan repayment initiatives. Many nursing schools have built strong partnerships with hospitals and community health centers to provide tuition assistance and loan repayment support.

How to Find the Official List

The Department’s list is publicly available on the Federal Register website and the Department of Education’s official site. Here’s how you can locate it:

1. Federal Register:
   - Visit the Federal Register portal: https://www.federalregister.gov.
   - Search for “professional graduate programs” and filter by date (April 11, 2023).
   - The PDF titled “List of Professional Graduate Programs” contains the full list and accompanying policy notes.

2. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education:
   - Go to https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/pgc/pgc.html.
   - Scroll to the “Professional Graduate Programs” section.
   - Download the most recent PDF or HTML version for reference.

3. Financial Aid Offices:
   - Many universities maintain an up‑to‑date list on their financial aid webpages.
   - If a program isn’t listed, it is likely not recognized under the federal professional graduate designation.

Moving Forward

The Department’s reaffirmation of the list does not dramatically change the landscape for professional graduate students; it simply provides a clearer framework. For nursing students, the announcement reinforces the need for proactive financial planning. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, nursing students should:

• Explore state loan repayment programs (e.g., Texas, New York, and Ohio offer state-sponsored repayment for nurses in underserved areas).
• Consider private lenders that offer competitive rates for nursing graduates.
• Look into employer-sponsored loan repayment (many hospitals have 3–5 year repayment plans).
• Check for specialty loan forgiveness (e.g., the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program and the Community Health Loan Repayment Program).

The conversation about what constitutes a “professional graduate” program is far from over. As nursing continues to evolve with advanced practice roles, doctoral degrees, and interprofessional collaboration, it is likely that future policy discussions will revisit the classification. In the meantime, nursing students and advisors should stay informed by following the Department’s updates and exploring all available aid options.

Key Takeaways

This announcement underscores the importance of understanding how federal policy shapes student financial aid. Whether you’re a prospective law student, a medical trainee, or a nursing aspirant, staying abreast of these policy shifts can help you make smarter financial decisions and ensure you’re leveraging all available resources.