SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 140

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 15, 2025

      The Senate Higher Education Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 140.

      As amended, this resolution respectfully urges the United States Department of Education to revise the definition of professional degree programs, as it applies to federal student loan programs, to include degree programs in education, nursing, physical therapy, dental hygiene, occupational therapy, social work, architecture, and accounting. 

     The federal administration has proposed new borrowing limits for federal student loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.  Under these changes, degree programs in education, nursing, physical therapy, dental hygiene, occupational therapy, social work, architecture, and accounting will no longer be considered “professional degree programs,” as that term is used by the federal student loan system.  As a result, students pursuing these degrees will have access to lower amounts of borrowing. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to make various changes to the bill, including changes to the bill’s preamble, title, and synopsis, to reflect that the bill now makes reference to all the degree programs affected by the proposed federal rule change.  The bill, as introduced, addressed only nursing degree programs.