Talks Over Loan Caps See Some Progress
Jessica Blake
November 5, 2025
But some industries such as aviation are still pushing to get included in the department’s final definition for professional programs.
College aviation programs are pushing the Education Department to designate them as professional and allow their students to access higher levels of federal loans.
So far, the lobbying effort has included a slew of public comments from aviation associations, airlines and aerospace institutions as well as a letter from a bipartisan group of more than 30 senators. Together, the air travel advocates argue that the bachelor’s degree necessary for a pilot’s license meets the same standards as a doctorate in medicine or law, which are more commonly cited as professional programs. And if aviation training isn’t treated as professional, they say, it will only further exacerbate an already dramatic shortage of commercial pilots.
