The OBBBA designates professional degrees in accordance with section 668.2 of title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (139 STAT. 334), which defines them as “a degree that signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree, where professional licensure is also generally required” (34 CFR 668.2). Professional degrees that are currently listed include pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, and theology. Architecture—alongside nursing, education, and social work, long considered to be professional programs—is notably absent.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) issued a statement rebuking any proposal or policy that fails to recognize architects as professionals, especially given this designation’s impact on student loan caps. “The title of ‘architect’ is earned through years of rigorous education, extensive professional examinations, and a demanding licensing process. To classify otherwise dismisses the expertise, professional standards, and dedication that define the profession,” the AIA’s statement says. “Lowering the loan cap will reduce the number of architects who can afford to pursue this professional degree and harm American leadership in this field.”

Over in the U.K., architects are also reckoning with educational funding challenges. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) released a joint letter opposing changes in government funding for level 7 apprenticeships for built environment professionals, the equivalent of a master’s degree. Effective January 1, 2026, funding for these apprenticeships will no longer be accessible to all students, but only to those between the ages of 16 and 21. RIBA’s letter strongly urges the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to extend eligibility age to 25, citing the U.K.’s growing demand for architects, engineers, planners, and surveyors. “To drive growth through creating and developing high-quality, well-designed buildings and places across the country,” explained RIBA, “a dynamic and highly-skilled workforce is essential.”