“Care Is the Flame They Fear”
“Care Is Professional, Care Is Flame”
The Department of Education announced this reclassification plan in early November 2025, and it is tied to the implementation of President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed in July 2025. The Department has said final rules will be released by spring 2026, so the changes are not yet in effect but are expected to take hold then.
Detailed Timeline
• July 2025 — Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law. It eliminated the Grad PLUS loan program and capped borrowing for graduate students.
• November 6, 2025 — The Department of Education published its proposal clarifying which degrees count as “professional.” Nursing, teaching, social work, public health, counseling, and several others were excluded from the list.
• Mid–November 2025 — News outlets (Newsweek, Nurse.org, Black Enterprise) reported the exclusion, sparking outrage among nursing associations and educators.
• Spring 2026 (expected) The Department of Education has stated it will finalize the rules by then. That is when the new loan limits and classifications would officially take effect.
“Care Is the Flame They Fear”
The Department of Education announced this plan.
in early November twenty twenty five.
It is tied to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act,
signed in July twenty twenty five.
They say final rules will come in spring twenty twenty six.
Not yet in effect
but already burning in our bones.
July twenty twenty five
they signed the Act,
cutting Grad PLUS loans,
capping care, capping futures.
November six, twenty twenty five
they published their decree,
Deciding which degrees
count as “professional.”
Nursing excluded.
Teaching excluded.
Social work excluded.
Public health excluded.
Counseling excluded.
Care erased.
Mid November
the news broke.
Newsweek, Nurse.org, Black Enterprise
rising outrage,
nurses and educators shouting back.
Spring twenty twenty six.
They say the rules will take effect.
But today
we flame before their law.
Nursing is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Teaching is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Social work is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Counseling professional CARE IS FLAME!
Public health is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Every act of CARE IS FLAME!
They tried to erase care.
We answered with flame.
Needy is not a sin.
Care is professional.
Care is the flame they fear.
In July twenty twenty five,
They signed the One Big Beautiful Bill
a law that cuts our loans,
a law that capped our care.
In November twenty twenty five,
the Department of Education spoke,
declaring nursing, teaching, social work,
Public health, therapy, engineering
“Not professional.”
Spring twenty twenty six,
They say the rules will take effect.
But today
we rise before their decree,
we sing before their erasure,
we flame before their law.
“Care Is Professional, Care Is Flame”
Nursing is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Teaching is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Social work is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Counseling professional CARE IS FLAME!
“Care Is the Flame They Fear”
They think they can erase us.
They think care is weakness.
They think nursing, teaching, social work, therapy,
the professions carried by women, by care, by flame,
are not professional.
But we know the truth.
Every IV drip, every chalk line, every handheld in grief.
that is professionalism.
That is survival.
That is sovereign flame.
So, when they strip our names,
We rise with cadence.
When they erase our titles,
We shout our chorus.
This is our anthem.
This is our correction.
This is our sovereign fire.
Speech and therapy CARE IS FLAME!
Public health and healing CARE IS FLAME!
Architecture and accounting CARE IS FLAME!
Engineering, building CARE IS FLAME!
They strip our names, we rise again.
CARE IS PROFESSIONAL, CARE IS FLAME!
Needy is not a sin.
CARE IS PROFESSIONAL, CARE IS FLAME!
Nursing & Teaching
They said nursing is not professional,
They said teaching is not a career.
But every hand that heals and guides
Is the flame they fear.
We care; therefore, we rise,
We heal; therefore, we fight.
Needy is not a sin.
Care is the cadence of life!
Care is professional.
Care is the flame they fear!
Social Work & Therapy
Social workers hold the broken,
Counselors catch the tears.
They strip the name “professional,”
But the rhythm still appears.
Public Health & Healing
Speech and therapy, public health,
Occupational hands that mend.
They tried to erase our titles,
But the sovereign flame will not bend.
Architecture & Engineering
Builders of bridges, keepers of plans,
Accountants of truth and time.
They said, “not professional.”
But the cadence still aligns.
We care; therefore, we rise,
We heal; therefore, we fight.
Needy is not a sin.
Care is the cadence of life!
Care is professional.
Care is the flame they fear!
Nursing is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Teaching is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Social work is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Counseling professional CARE IS FLAME!
Public health is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Engineering is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Architectural Professional CARE IS FLAME!
Every act of care IS FLAME!
We care; therefore, we rise,
We heal; therefore, we fight.
Needy is not a sin.
Care is the cadence of life!
Care is professional.
Care is the flame they fear!
“Care Is the Flame They Fear”
The Department of Education announced this plan.
in early November twenty twenty five.
It is tied to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act,
signed in July twenty twenty five.
They say final rules will come in spring twenty twenty six.
Not yet in effect
but already burning in our bones.
July twenty twenty five
they signed the Act,
cutting Grad PLUS loans,
capping care, capping futures.
November six, twenty twenty five —
they published their decree,
Deciding which degrees
count as “professional.”
Nursing excluded.
Teaching excluded.
Social work excluded.
Public health excluded.
Counseling excluded.
Care erased.
Mid November
the news broke.
Newsweek, Nurse.org, Black Enterprise
rising outrage,
nurses and educators shouting back.
Spring twenty twenty six
they say the rules will take effect.
But today
we flame before their law.
Nursing is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Teaching is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Social work is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Counseling professional CARE IS FLAME!
Public health is professional CARE IS FLAME!
Every act of CARE IS FLAME!
They tried to erase care.
We answered with flame.
Needy is not a sin.
Care is professional.
Care is the flame they fear.
About the Creator
Vicki Lawana Trusselli
Welcome to My Portal
I am a storyteller. This is where memory meets mysticism, music, multi-media, video, paranormal, rebellion, art, and life.
I nursing, business, & journalism in college. I worked in the film & music industry in LA, CA.
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Comments (3)
It’s very sad that things like this are happening. Of course this is all being done so they can have the funds to give the billionaires their big tax break. What a mess the next president will have to clean up . But a lot of this will be overturned.
This is such a powerful blend of poetry and protest.
Care is beyond their limited imagination. ❤️