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Clarity in Professional Degree Act
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the definition of professional degree.
Summary
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the definition of professional degree for purposes of federal student aid eligibility. It adds ten specific graduate and professional degree types to the definition, including nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, accounting, architecture, education-related degrees, and public health. The bill responds to a Department of Education change that removed many health, education, and graduate credentials from the professional degree definition, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026. By including these degrees in the expanded definition, the bill would restore eligibility for federal student aid programs to students pursuing these degrees. The bill cites concerns that the removal of these degrees from the professional degree definition could contribute to workforce shortages in critical fields.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
Actions (2)
- Dec 16, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. · house
- Dec 16, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2025
Mrs. Dingell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the definition of professional degree.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Clarity in Professional Degree Act”.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Department of Education modified the definition of “professional degree” programs eligible for Federal student aid programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), removing many health, education, and graduate credentials from the list of definitions at the detriment of students with disabilities.
(2) This reclassification is part of a new student loan policy and is expected to take effect on July 1, 2026.
(3) Students in affected programs could now lose their qualification for such Federal student aid programs which experts fear would exacerbate workforce shortages. These fields are the foundation of the United States economy, ensuring that the Nation remains safe, educated, and healthy.
SEC. 3. PROFESSIONAL DEGREE DEFINED.
Section 455(a)(4)(C) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(a)(4)(C)) is amended—
(1) in clause (ii), by striking “, as defined under section 668.2 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this paragraph),”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(iii) Professional degree.—In this paragraph, the term ‘professional degree’ has the meaning given the term in section 668.2 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this paragraph), except that such term also includes the following degrees:
“(I) Nursing (A.D.N., R.N., or B.S.N.).
“(II) Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.).
“(III) Physical Therapy (D.P.T.).
“(IV) Social Work (M.S.W.).
“(V) Accounting (MAcc).
“(VI) Architecture (M.Arch.).
“(VII) Special and Secondary Education (M.Ed., M.S.Ed., or M.A.T.).
“(VIII) Music Education (M.S. or M.M.E.).
“(IX) World Languages (M.Ed.).
“(X) Public Health (M.P.H.).”. <all>
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