Graduate Degrees and Student Loans: What's the Deal?

Some graduate degrees are not seen as "professional" ones. This might make it harder for students to get loans. The list of professional degrees includes things like pharmacy, dentistry, and law. But nursing and other degrees are not on this list. The Department of Education says this won't be a big problem. They think most nursing students won't be affected. They also say that the new loan limits will make programs cheaper. This way, students won't have too much debt. But not everyone agrees. Some students, especially in nursing, think it will be harder to pay for school. Right now, there are about 136, 656 students in master's nursing programs. These programs usually take two to three years to finish. The cost of a master's in nursing can vary. But on average, students might borrow between $50, 580 and $68, 290. This is on top of the cost of an undergraduate degree. The total cost depends on whether the school is public or private. The list of professional degrees comes from the Higher Education Act of 1965. Recently, clinical psychology degrees were added to this list. But nursing degrees are still not included.