Nursing Excluded as 'Professional' Degree By Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education has recently removed nursing programs from its definition of “professional degree” under new student-loan rules, meaning graduate nursing students may no longer qualify for higher federal borrowing limits reserved for professional degree programs.

As a result, students pursuing advanced nursing pathways—such as nurse practitioners—could face increased financial barriers at a time when the United States already confronts a critical nurse-shortage.

Major nursing organizations including the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have strongly opposed the change, warning it undermines workforce readiness, access to care, and nursing’s vital role in underserved communities.

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