Under Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” his Education Department has reclassified which degrees are considered “professional”, which will have implications on how much reimbursement a student will receive for their education.
Notably, nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, audiologists, physical therapists, accountants, educators, architects, social workers and mental health counselors like me.
Experts are concerned that if students get less assistance with expensive programs like these, then they will be deterred from entering these professions – which is a problem for fields already experiencing a shortage, like mental healthcare.
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor, and I still see and treat clients while campaigning. I know how much time, money, education, and work went into being able to get my license and pursue this career – and I also know that people will suffer under these new rules.
Making careers like social work and medicine harder to enter increases human suffering. When we have fewer nurses, counselors, or medical specialists in the workforce, it’s not just students who suffer – it’s the people looking for help too.
Trump knows this, and his administration knows this. They’re changing this arbitrary definition for no other reason than to please billionaire donors and Heritage Foundation policy hacks – at the expense of students, patients, and families across the country.
This decision is ridiculous, and I stand with my fellow ‘unprofessional’ professionals everywhere.
– Emily
