Professional Student Degree Act

New definition of professional degrees for students

This bill would replace the current regulatory cross‑reference for "professional degree" in the Higher Education Act with a new statutory definition. A professional degree would have to both show you finished the academic requirements to begin practice where licensure is commonly required and represent a level of skill beyond a bachelor’s degree, as the Education Secretary decides. The bill lists example degrees that would count (for example: M.D., J.D., Pharm.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., M.B.A., M.P.H., M.S.W., D.P.T., M.S.N., and others) and lets the Secretary add any other degrees that meet those rules. If enacted, this would change which programs and students count as holding a "professional degree" for federal student aid and related rules, so some students or programs could gain clearer coverage while others could lose prior regulatory treatment.