On August 11, 2026, a coalition of unions, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), sued the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) over its regulatory definition of a “professional degree,” which excludes education graduate programs. The suit alleges that the omission of education graduate programs will make it more difficult and less attractive for students to enter the teaching profession.
In fact, students in advanced degree programs considered “professional” by the USDE are able to take out up to $200,000 in federal student loans. Education graduate students, and others pursuing fields excluded from the designation are capped at $100,000.
The lawsuit follows a federal judge’s June 2026 order from a temporarily blocking the USDE’s professional degree definition. Subsequently, as a result of that court order, the USDE expanded its list of professional degree programs to include nursing, physical therapy, athletic training and occupational therapy as of July 10th. However, education graduate programs have remained excluded.
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