Naturopathic Medicine Degree to be Treated as a Professional Program

A federal judge in Oregon issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Department of Education to classify the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D.) as a professional program for the purposes of the new graduate borrowing limits. This will temporarily allow N.D. students to access the higher $50,000 annual and $200,000 aggregate loan limits.

In the court's opinion, the Department exceeded its authority when it applied criteria beyond the three-part test that Congress incorporated into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The court also found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claim that the department's treatment of the program was arbitrary and capricious because N.D. programs were treated inconsistently relative to other programs and the agency "failed to provide a reasoned explanation" for its treatment of the program.

The injunction only applies to the three association plaintiffs – the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and the Naturopathic Medical Student Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges – and their members.

There are five other pending cases related to the new graduate borrowing limits, and most of them are expected to be resolved before the end of the year.

For more information, please contact:
Justin Monk