"After a federal judge halted the Department of Education’s definition of 'professional' programs, the department said it stood by its original definition—which included just 11 degrees. But following the court order, the agency released a new list of 29 programs that will be considered 'professional' while litigation continues," Inside Higher Ed reports.

... "But it’s not such a straightforward decision, said Karen McCarthy, vice president of public policy and federal relations for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators."

"'It is a little bit of a lose-lose, because if you have needy students who could really use additional loan eligibility, who are struggling, or perhaps can’t enroll in the fall because of the lower loan limit, [and] you choose to stay where you are right now and set that lower loan limit, there may be students that are harmed by that right now,' she said."

"In addition, McCarthy noted that the provision in OBBBA that allows colleges to set institutional loan limits wasn’t what financial aid administrators had been asking for. The legislation allows institutions to extend lower loans for entire programs and majors, but doesn’t offer any flexibility to raise those limits for students who need the additional support."

"'We haven’t seen a lot of eagerness from institutions to jump right into this because of that the fact that they don’t have the ability to take unusual circumstances into account and increase for an individual student,' she said."

"McCarthy said NASFAA hasn’t given its member institutions across-the-board guidance about whether they should set institutional limits or not, advising them to consult with their general counsel to make a decision."

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 7/10/2026