A few days ago my wife, a Registered Nurse, was shocked to find that nursing was no longer considered a "professional" degree by the Department of Education. Her colleagues and their professional organization lost their collective minds. A couple of days later, I learned that my own profession of architecture had suffered the same fate and likewise, some of my colleagues and leadership in the AIA vented their rage through the media. I was puzzled. Why did this happen? And who anointed the US Department of Education (DOE) as arbiters of who is a professional?
The answer to the last question is "Nobody". The definition of what constitutes a profession remains unchanged. It is broadly associated with specialized skills, greater requirements for formal education, and a requirement for licensure. That definition has not changed and the DOE holds no role its interpretation. The DOE usage of the term is just semantics, not a reflection on skill, training, license requirements, or even prestige.
To answer the first question very simply, the DOE sets education loan program caps through groupings of degrees. Their top tier is "Professional" and reflects many of the professions we all readily recognize and appreciate as professions. For the DOE loan cap purposes, it is more reflective of the often extended educational requirements needed to obtain such degrees. Thus greater loan amounts, up to $200,000, are available to those professions identified in this category to help with additional years of formal study.
My research reveals that removing architecture and nursing (and other) traditional professions from this category is not based on a new definition of "professional", but on an attempt to match loan amount caps to the loan recipient's likely ability to pay the loans back once they join the workforce. Physicians and attorneys remain in the "Professional" tier with a $200,000 cap, while architects, nurses and others are moved to a different tier with a $100,000 cap. This difference in compensation between architects and their friends in medicine and law is a very old wound, but a reality I think we are all aware of.
This change, while awkwardly handled (couldn't they just rename all the tiers and avoid the professional references?) is one attempt to address the problem of young professionals entering the workforce carrying crippling debt. I applaud this attempt, however gracelessly it has been implemented. I don't feel any attempt has been made to diminish my standing as a professional, so I'm fine with the effort.
For those who are offended by this reclassification, remember that the Trump administration is working hard to dismantle the DOE anyway.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, regardless of your education loan cap level!
