The proposal is expected to be posted to the Federal Register in early 2026 for formal public comment.

Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | Aksam and EyeEm Mobile GmbH/iStock/Getty Images

The Trump administration is soon expected to propose a plan that would cap loans for a number of advanced degrees—including master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing—and it’s gone viral on social media.

From TikTok to Instagram, to local news headlines, the plan set off a storm of online criticism as influencers and advocacy groups take issue with the supposed declassification of certain degrees. But defining programs as professional or graduate isn’t a debate about social prestige or cultural characterization; it’s a debate about access to student loans, and now the Education Depart

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