This bill would change the legal definition of "professional degree" in the Higher Education Act. It removes a cross-reference to a federal regulation and adds a new, written definition. The new definition says a professional degree means a degree that shows completion of the education needed to begin practice in a profession (for which licensure is commonly required) and that is at a higher level than a bachelor's degree. The bill lists specific degrees that count as professional degrees, including pharmacy (Pharm.D.), dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), veterinary medicine (D.V.M.), chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.), law (L.L.B. or J.D.), medicine (M.D.), optometry (O.D.), osteopathic medicine (D.O.), podiatric medicine (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), theology/theological studies (M.Div. or M.H.L.), clinical psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.), and nursing (MSN, DNP, DNAP, or Ph.D.). The bill also lets the Secretary of Education decide if other degrees meet the definition.
The bill changes the written definition used in federal higher education law to identify "professional degrees." Nursing degrees (MSN, DNP, DNAP, Ph.D.) are explicitly named in the list of professional degrees. The Secretary of Education can also add other degrees that meet the definition. The bill text does not detail any specific program changes, student eligibility rules, funding changes, or other direct effects.
No publicly available information. The bill text contains no cost estimates or budget analysis.
The bill text itself adds nursing degrees to the list of degrees defined as professional degrees and lists several other health, legal, and religious professional degrees. Sponsors listed in the metadata are Mrs. Kiggans, Mrs. Beatty, and Mr. Bergman. No additional statements of proponents' reasoning or expected effects are included in the provided text.
No publicly available information.