Congressional pressure intensified on the Education Department to add nursing to a new list of graduate ‘professional’ programs after the administration proposed steep new borrowing caps for graduate students. Under the proposed rule, students in programs deemed professional could borrow up to $200,000 total versus $100,000 for other graduate degrees; the designation also raises annual borrowing limits. Lawmakers from both parties urged inclusion of nursing, arguing the omission would limit workforce pipelines into a field facing shortages. The Education Department’s classifications will directly affect program access to Grad PLUS loans and reshape funding strategies for universities that rely on graduate enrollment. Clarification: the ‘professional’ label here determines higher loan limits for certain graduate programs under the administration’s proposed student‑loan regulations.