Nursing is a Professional Degree Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the definition of a professional degree, impacting how certain students are classified. It removes a specific reference to a Code of Federal Regulations section that previously defined professional students. The legislation establishes a new, comprehensive definition for a professional degree . This definition encompasses degrees that signify completion of academic requirements for beginning practice in a profession, typically requiring licensure, and demonstrate a level of professional skill beyond a bachelor's degree. Significantly, the bill explicitly adds various master's and doctoral degrees in nursing (MSN, DNP, DNAP, or Ph.D) to the list of recognized professional degrees, alongside other fields like Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Law, while also allowing the Secretary to include other qualifying degrees.