Court stay puts MSN, DNP and PA programs on an interim 'professional degree' list; July 10 update clarifies nursing scope
The Department of Education's RISE final rule narrowed the definition of 'professional degree.' On June 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (consolidated Nos.
26-1780 and 26-1941) preliminarily stayed part of that definition. ED's June 29 interim list for the duration of the stay expressly includes Registered Nursing (MSN), Nursing Practice (DNP), and Physician Associate/Assistant (MSPA; PA) programs.
The July 10 update clarified that the MSN and DNP entries include programs within the same four-digit CIP code that award the same credential and added the Ph.D. designation for Clinical Psychology; PA was already on the June 29 list. Institutions may use the higher professional-student loan limits for qualifying programs during the stay, although institutions may set lower program-level limits.
The health-center relevance is indirect: these programs feed nursing, advanced-practice, PA, and behavioral-health roles used by FQHCs. The ED announcement does not mention FQHCs, and this is a temporary litigation posture, not a final outcome; Grad PLUS remains eliminated and the interim designations may change.
Key takeaways
- The June 29 interim list includes MSN, DNP and PA programs; the July 10 update clarified the scope of the two nursing entries and added Clinical Psychology Ph.D.
- This is a temporary court stay (June 24, D.D.C.), not a settled outcome — the narrower RISE definition could return on appeal, so treat the current tier as reversible when advising staff on financing a degree.
- The announcement never mentions health centers — the FQHC stake is the staffing pipeline, not a direct FQHC program change. It also does not bring back Grad PLUS.
Primary source
U.S. Department of Education — Federal Student AidSource packet
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FQHC Talent. (2026, July 10). Court stay puts MSN, DNP and PA programs on an interim 'professional degree' list; July 10 update clarifies nursing scope. Primary source: U.S. Department of Education — Federal Student Aid. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/ed-professional-degree-list-nursing-pa-loan-limits-july-2026
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