Trump Administration Redefines Vocational Degrees, Excluding Key Fields and Threatening Workforce Stability
November 24, 2025663 AufrufeLesezeit: 2 Minuten
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A report from Newsweek highlights significant concerns following the Trump administration's decision to redefine "vocational degrees," which excludes essential fields relied upon by American society, including nursing, education, engineering, and social work.
According to the report, the new classification will directly affect financial aid amounts for students, allowing those in classified vocational fields to receive up to $50,000 in funding, while students in non-classified fields will only be eligible for $20,500. Additionally, the decision eliminates the Grad PLUS program for graduate students and reduces the Parent PLUS program, which helps finance the education of university students.
This decision has sparked widespread debate among academic and union circles, as education experts warn it may deter students from entering fields already facing acute workforce shortages, particularly in healthcare, education, and physical therapy. They cautioned that reduced funding could pressure universities to cut programs or raise tuition, which has already doubled over the past three decades.
Newsweek noted that the list of excluded fields includes those central to public services, such as nursing, psychotherapy, accounting, and speech pathology. In contrast, theology has been included in the vocational degree classification, raising questions about potential political motivations behind the new categorization.
Former Senate candidate Amy McGrath remarked that the exclusion of fields predominantly occupied by women is not coincidental, warning that the decision may exacerbate shortages in critical sectors like health and education.
Newsweek concludes that these changes could fundamentally reshape the vocational education system in the United States and threaten sectors vital to the country's social and economic framework.
