Redefining “Professional Student”: Why It Matters for Future Music Educators

Redefining “Professional Student” and Why It Matters for Future Music Educators

By Amber Friel, NAfME Communications Manager, Advocacy and Public Policy

In July 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21), significantly reshaping federal student loan policy for graduate and professional students. Now, as the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) works to put the law into action, an important question remains:

Who counts as a “professional student”?

For future music educators and other advanced education degree candidates, the answer could determine not just how much they are able to borrow, but whether their desired degrees remain financially within reach.

New Loan Caps

The new law establishes separate federal loan limits for graduate and professional students. While graduate students may only borrow up to $20,500 annually, with a $100,000 aggregate limit, professional students may borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a $200,000 aggregate cap. Though Congress set these distinct thresholds, it was left to the Department to define which degree programs qualify as “professional” through a negotiated rulemaking process.

The Proposed Definition

On January 29, the Department released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement the changes. The proposal mirrors statutory language and reflects consensus from the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) negotiated rulemaking committee.

Under the proposal, a professional degree must be postbaccalaureate, required for entry into a specific profession, and include an accompanying licensure requirement. The Department currently identifies programs such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, law, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, chiropractic, clinical psychology, and osteopathic medicine as professional degrees.

At present, advanced education degrees—including music education—are not included. As written, these programs would fall under the lower, more restrictive graduate loan caps, despite requiring state licensure and ongoing professional development.

Public comments are open through March 2, after which the Department will review submissions and issue a final rule.

Why This Matters for Music Education

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has formally urged the Department to include all education degree programs within the definition of “professional student.”

Our rationale is simple: Music educators are professionals.

To practice in the field, they must earn state licensure and complete ongoing professional development to maintain certification. These educators are professionals who provide an essential public service to our nation’s students, and they should be treated as such.

Research consistently links access to music education with higher academic achievement, greater student confidence, reduced absenteeism and disciplinary incidents, and improved mental health outcomes.

Excluding education degrees from the professional designation risks sending a troubling message: that careers devoted to teaching, despite requiring licensure and advanced study, are somehow less “professional” than others.

Especially as financial barriers already limit entry into the field, this is a critical issue. The 2024 National Study of Arts Education found that more than 55 percent of music educators hold a master’s degree. Meanwhile, our 2023 report, A Blueprint for Strengthening the Music Teacher Profession, identified rising tuition and limited scholarship support as significant deterrents for prospective candidates.

Lower federal loan caps would further intensify these challenges at a time when schools are working to strengthen an educator pipeline already facing shortages.

“Professional Student” Is More Than a Definition

This decision is about more than terminology. The outcome will determine whether students pursuing advanced degrees in education, including music education, can access the higher loan limits Congress established for professional students.

At stake is not only borrowing capacity, but perception of how we value the profession itself. The decision will signal whether we recognize and respect future educators as the professionals they are, or risk creating additional financial barriers at a pivotal moment for education.

Including music educators in the definition of “professional student” is an essential step toward affirming their expertise, strengthening the educator pipeline, and ensuring students nationwide continue to benefit from a well-rounded education.

NAfME will continue to closely monitor the Department’s actions on the proposed rule and any legislation that may be considered to address this issue. We remain committed to advocating for policies that recognize the professionalism of music educators and expand access to the preparation they need to serve students well.

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