<description>&lt;p&gt;Valerie Fuller, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, visited the podcast to talk about how new federal loan limits will change what graduate students can borrow and why nursing may no longer be considered a professional degree. The hosts also looked at the appropriations outlook on Capitol Hill, negotiations on rulemaking to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill, and more.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 12pt;"&gt;Graduate Loan Limits&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.aanp.org/about/about-the-american-association-of-nurse-practitioners-aanp/aanp-leadership/board-of-directors/aanp-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;Valerie Fuller, president of American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/TPs-OBBB-Loan-Limits-2026.pdf"&gt;Graduate and Professional Student Loan Limits Under the OBBB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/national-nurse-practitioner-organizations-express-concern-over-department-of-education-negotiated-rulemaking" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;National Nurse Practitioner Organizations Express Concern Over Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Nov. 21, 2025&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.votervoice.net/AANP/1/Campaigns/131758/Respond" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;AANP Advocacy Center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.naicu.edu/news-events/washington-update/2025/december-19/bills-introduced-to-address-changes-to-graduate-lending-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;Bills Introduced to Address Changes to Graduate Lending Programs &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; NAICU Washington Update | Dec. 19, 2025&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://news.gallup.com/poll/700736/nurses-continue-lead-honesty-ethics-ratings.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;Nurses Continue to Lead in Honesty and Ethics Ratings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Gallup | Jan. 12, 2026&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 12pt;"&gt;Constitutionality of Race-Based Higher Education Grant Programs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-secretary-of-education-linda-mcmahon-statement-office-of-legal-counsels-opinion-constitutionality-of-race-based-higher-education-grant-programs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Statement on the Office of Legal Counsel's Opinion on the Constitutionality of Race-Based Higher Education Grant Programs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 12pt;"&gt;Negotiated Rulemaking &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/higher-education-policy/negotiated-rulemaking-for-higher-education-2025-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Department of Education&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/AHEAD-Committee-Second-Rulemaking-Session-Consensus-Accountability.aspx"&gt; AHEAD Committee's Second Rulemaking Session Results in Consensus on Accountability Framework&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; ACE | Jan. 12, 2026&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2026/01/09/ed-panel-signs-new-earnings-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;ED Panel Signs Off on New Earnings Test &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;em&gt;Inside Higher Ed &lt;/em&gt;| Jan. 9, 2026&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Negotiators-Consensus-Pell-Regulations.aspx"&gt; Negotiators Reach Consensus on Pell Regulations&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br /&gt; ACE | Dec. 15, 2025&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2025/12/15/ed-panel-signs-workforce-pell-regs-concerns-remain" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;Consensus Reached on Workforce Pell, Earnings Test Looms&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;em&gt;Inside Higher Ed&lt;/em&gt; | Dec. 15, 2026&lt;/p&gt;</description>

dotEDU

American Council on Education

What Counts as a Professional Degree in 2026?

JAN 16, 202660 MIN
dotEDU

What Counts as a Professional Degree in 2026?

JAN 16, 202660 MIN

Description

Valerie Fuller, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, visited the podcast to talk about how new federal loan limits will change what graduate students can borrow and why nursing may no longer be considered a professional degree. The hosts also looked at the appropriations outlook on Capitol Hill, negotiations on rulemaking to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill, and more. Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: Graduate Loan Limits Valerie Fuller, president of American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Graduate and Professional Student Loan Limits Under the OBBB National Nurse Practitioner Organizations Express Concern Over Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking Nov. 21, 2025 AANP Advocacy Center Bills Introduced to Address Changes to Graduate Lending Programs NAICU Washington Update | Dec. 19, 2025 Nurses Continue to Lead in Honesty and Ethics Ratings Gallup | Jan. 12, 2026 Constitutionality of Race-Based Higher Education Grant Programs U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Statement on the Office of Legal Counsel's Opinion on the Constitutionality of Race-Based Higher Education Grant Programs Negotiated Rulemaking Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education 2025 Department of Education AHEAD Committee's Second Rulemaking Session Results in Consensus on Accountability Framework ACE | Jan. 12, 2026 ED Panel Signs Off on New Earnings Test Inside Higher Ed | Jan. 9, 2026 Negotiators Reach Consensus on Pell Regulations ACE | Dec. 15, 2025 Consensus Reached on Workforce Pell, Earnings Test Looms Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 15, 2026