Threatening the Social Work Pipeline: A Policy Analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s Proposals to Reclassify MSW & DSW Degrees

Recent federal student loan reforms proposed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) would redefine “professional degree programs” for purposes of federal borrowing limits, excluding Master of Social Work (MSW) and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degrees from eligibility for higher loan caps. This policy analysis examines the potential consequences of reclassifying social work degrees as non-professional, with particular attention to educational access, workforce sustainability, and equity. Guided by a normative, advocacy-oriented evaluative framework and an ecological lens, the analysis draws on federal rulemaking documents, workforce projections, accreditation standards, and existing research on student debt and enrollment behavior. Findings suggest that reduced federal loan access may suppress MSW and DSW enrollment, disproportionately affect first-generation, low-income, and BIPOC students, and exacerbate behavioral health workforce shortages. The analysis concludes that the proposed reclassification risks undermining both social work education infrastructure and community well-being, and it offers policy-relevant considerations to better align loan reform with workforce and equity priorities.