Federal Court Stays Department of Education's Narrowed 'Professional Degree' Definition for Student Loan Limits

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has issued a nationwide stay on the Department of Education's new regulatory definition of 'professional degree.' This prevents the Department from enforcing its narrowed definition, which would have limited the categories of graduate students eligible for higher federal student loan limits under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The court found that plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claim that the new definition is contrary to law.