US Department of Education No Longer Recognizes Nursing as Professional Degree
TL/DR –
The US Department of Education will no longer recognize nursing as a professional degree, restricting student loan access for those pursuing advanced degrees in nursing. This decision means the new loan limits for graduate nursing programs are $20,500 per year and $100,000 in total, compared to the $50,000 annually and a $200,000 cap for degrees classified as professional. The American Nurses Association has expressed concern over the potential impacts on patient care, and other careers including physician assistants, physical therapists, and social workers will also be affected by this rule change.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Change in Student Loan Access for Nursing Degrees
The U.S. Department of Education has decided to stop recognizing nursing as a professional degree. This change significantly limits student loan access for those pursuing higher nursing degrees. The rule change impacts the ability for nurses intending to return to school for a graduate degree in nursing to borrow money, affecting the workforce pipeline into nursing and graduate-prepared clinicians such as nurse practitioners, midwives, and CRNAs, who perform key functions in U.S. healthcare, says Denise Smith, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz’s College of Nursing.
While a 1965 federal law defining professional degrees does not name nursing, past administrations have interpreted this law to include nursing. However, under the current administration, the new loan limits for graduate nursing programs would cap at $20,500 annually and $100,000 in total, compared to the previous amounts of $50,000 per year and a total of $200,000 for degrees classified as professional, according to USA Today.
Nurses, often the primary care providers, administer anesthesia during surgeries and care for patients in the hospital. This rule reinterpretation could negatively affect the growth of nursing and impact patients’ ability to access care. The U.S. has been facing a chronic shortage of nurses, and this change may further exacerbate the situation. The physical and mental demands, as well as the extensive training required to be a nurse, make it a challenging profession.
Reactions to the Changes in Student Loan Access
Smith believes that despite the new interpretation of the rules, nurses earn professional degrees. However, she is concerned about the message this sends. The American Nurses Association’s President recently released a statement emphasizing how limiting access to funding for graduate education could threaten patient care, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The statement urged the Department of Education to recognize the importance of nursing and ensure access to loan programs for advanced nursing education.
Other Affected Degrees
Nursing is not the only degree affected by this change. Other careers such as physician assistants, physical therapists, audiologists, architects, accountants, educators, and social workers would also be impacted. These changes in higher education funding are scheduled to take effect in July 2026.
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