Professional Student Degree Act

HR 6718, the Professional Student Degree Act, amends the Higher Education Act to clarify the definition of a "professional degree" for federal education purposes. It replaces the previous definition with a new section listing specific degrees that meet the criteria, including Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Law (J.D.), Medicine (M.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), and others like Nursing (D.N.P.) and Business Administration (M.B.A.). This definition requires degrees to signify both completion of academic requirements for professional practice (often requiring licensure) and skills beyond a bachelor's level. The bill directly affects students pursuing these designated degrees by formally recognizing them under federal education law, without creating new programs or changing funding.