A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing portions of its new regulation that narrows the definition of a “professional degree” for federal student loan purposes. The ruling was issued on June 25 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The challenged regulation would have limited which graduate programs qualify for the higher federal borrowing limits established under recent federal law. Several healthcare-related programs, including physician assistant and advanced nursing programs, argued that the Department’s revised definition excluded them without statutory authority.
In granting the injunction, the court found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the Department’s definition conflicts with the governing statute. As a result, the Department is temporarily prohibited from enforcing the new definition while the litigation continues. The underlying federal student loan caps are still scheduled to take effect, but institutions and students may continue to rely on the prior definition of “professional degree” unless or until the court rules otherwise.
College Aid Services will continue monitoring this case and provide updates as additional guidance becomes available.