Senate Democratic Assistant Leader Miranda releases statement on DOE Professional Degree Change

PHOENIX – A provision in HR1 is replacing the Grad PLUS program with the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). Under this new plan, annual loans for new borrows will be capped at $20,500 annually for graduate students and $50,000 annually for professional students. However, a significant number of graduate degrees in the healthcare sector are not included in the definition of “professional degree.” Those excluded include degrees for nursing, physician assistants, physical therapy, audiology, social work, counseling or therapy, and speech pathology. Democratic Assistant Leader Senator Catherine Miranda (LD11) released the following statement: 

“I am worried about how these changes will prevent our students from seeking a higher education.   

Postsecondary education prices continue to go up and are becoming more and more unaffordable for many Americans and by getting rid of the Grad PLUS program and capping the new programs loan amounts at different prices for different degrees, the Trump administration is essentially blocking students from the opportunity to get better job opportunities, higher incomes, and upward social mobility.   

On top of that, by excluding certain healthcare fields, especially nursing, from the definition of ‘professional degree,’ the Big Ugly Bill is setting our state up for failure. Arizona currently is one of the top five states experiencing a severe nursing shortage, and we cannot afford to lose any more by deterring them from the degree. 

The Senate Democratic Caucus is dedicated to making postsecondary institutions affordable and attainable so that all students, regardless of their degree, are given the opportunity to seek a higher education.”