Table of Contents
- What Changed in the New Federal Rules?
- Why Does This Classification Matter?
- Who Is Affected by This Policy?
- How Are Nursing Organizations Responding?
- What Happens Next?
What Changed in the New Federal Rules?
The U.S. Department of Education recently updated its definition of what counts as a “professional degree.” Under the new guidelines, nursing is no longer included in the list of recognized professional degrees. This change is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, unless reversed or modified by future policy adjustments.
Previously, professional degrees included fields like medicine, law, dentistry, and pharmacy. The updated list still includes these fields, but nursing is now excluded. The Department of Education is using an older federal definition that only recognizes ten specific fields as professional degrees. Nursing was never added to this original list, so it is now officially excluded under the new interpretation.
Nursing is now treated as a non-professional graduate program, which could sharply reduce how much students are allowed to borrow for their education.
Why Does This Classification Matter?
The classification of a degree as “professional” has major implications for student loan eligibility and forgiveness programs. Graduate students in professional degree programs are typically allowed to borrow up to $50,000 per year. With nursing now classified as a non-professional program, students will face a much lower borrowing limit—only $20,500 per year.
This change makes advanced nursing education significantly more expensive and harder to afford. Many students rely on federal loans to cover the cost of tuition, living expenses, and other educational costs. The new borrowing limits could force students to take on additional debt, work more hours, or even abandon their plans to pursue advanced nursing degrees altogether.
- Lower borrowing limits mean higher out-of-pocket costs for students.
- Advanced nursing education becomes less accessible to those without financial resources.
- The change could lead to a shortage of qualified nurses in the future.
Who Is Affected by This Policy?
This policy change affects anyone pursuing advanced nursing education, including those seeking degrees such as Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and other post-baccalaureate nursing programs. These programs are essential for preparing nurses to take on advanced roles in healthcare, such as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists.
The impact is not limited to students. Healthcare systems, hospitals, and clinics that rely on advanced practice nurses may also feel the effects. With fewer students able to afford advanced education, there could be a shortage of qualified nurses to fill critical roles in the healthcare workforce.
The U.S. is still grappling with pandemic workforce losses, and demand for nurses is skyrocketing.
How Are Nursing Organizations Responding?
The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have both issued strong statements opposing the change. They argue that excluding nursing from the list of professional degrees threatens the ability to educate, recruit, and retain the nurses the country desperately needs.
These organizations are urging the Department of Education to correct course before this policy does lasting harm. They are also encouraging stakeholders to submit public comments during the upcoming comment period and to contact their congressional representatives to advocate for maintaining nursing’s professional degree status.
- The ANA and AACN are leading the charge to reverse the policy.
- They are calling for public comments and advocacy efforts.
- The goal is to safeguard the future of advanced nursing education and patient care access.
What Happens Next?
The Department of Education is expected to release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the coming weeks. This NPRM will provide stakeholders with formal opportunities to submit comments and influence the final rule. It is crucial for anyone affected by this change to review the proposal carefully and submit thoughtful public comments supporting the recognition of nursing as a professional degree.
Advocacy efforts are also underway to urge congressional representatives to support maintaining nursing’s professional degree status. The outcome of these efforts could have a significant impact on the future of advanced nursing education and the healthcare workforce.