Why a Trump plan to exclude nursing from ‘professional’ degree list sparks outrage

WASHINGTON- A coalition of nursing and other health care organizations is outraged by a Trump administration proposal that could limit access to federal loans for some students pursuing advanced degrees because the government would no longer classify their studies as “professional” programs.

Without such a designation from the U.S. Department of Education, students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing and at least seven other fields, including social work and education, would face stricter federal limits on student loans.

The overhaul is part of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Congress and is sparking anger and confusion, particularly among nurses who lash out online. Some social media posts amplified inaccurate information about the changes, leading the Department of Education to issue a “Myth vs. Reality” explanation of the proposed changes.

But that did little to quell the fury. Nurses and others concerned not only object to the potential limits of educational borrowing to advance their careers, but perceive the decision as a semantic insult that disrespects the intense training required to obtain their professional qualifications.

One Instagram user — a self-described nurse with more than 250,000 followers on the platform — said she had planned to attend graduate school to become a nurse practitioner, but proposed loan limits could put that out of reach. “They don’t want us to continue our studies,” she said. “They want women to be barefoot and pregnant. »

Susan Pratt, a nurse who is also president of a union representing nurses in Toledo, Ohio, called the decision a “slap in the face.”

“During the pandemic, nurses have stepped up, and this is the recognition we receive,” she said.

The Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment on the proposed rule changes. But his explainer said “progressive voices” had “spread fear” about the changes and spread “disinformation”.

The Trump administration has said limits on college loans are necessary to reduce tuition costs and believes that capping student loans would push colleges charging higher-than-average tuition to consider lowering rates.

What counts as a “professional” program

While graduate students previously could borrow loans up to the cost of their degree, the new rules would set caps depending on whether the degree is considered a graduate or professional program. For programs without a “professional” credential, students would be limited to borrowing $20,500 per year and up to $100,000 total.

Students enrolled in a designated professional program could borrow $50,000 per year and up to $200,000 total.

To define what a professional program is, the department turned to a 1965 law governing student financial aid. The law includes several examples of professional diplomas but specifies that this is not an exhaustive list. In contrast, the Trump administration’s proposal indicates that only degrees outlined in the new regulations can be considered professional programs.

The Department of Education would define the following fields as professional programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.

Left out are nursing, physiotherapy, dental hygiene, occupational therapy and social work – as well as fields outside of health care such as architecture, education and accounting.

One in six registered nurses in the country had a master’s degree in 2022, according to the American Assn. nursing colleges.

The federal fact sheet states that a “professional degree” is just an internal definition that it uses “to distinguish between programs eligible for higher loan limits.” This is “not a value judgment on the importance of programs… It has no bearing on whether a program is professional or not.”

The federal rules would take effect in July, but could still be changed by the Department of Education after a public comment period.

Nursing leaders denounce change

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Assn., decried the proposed changes, saying they would worsen an already painful shortage of advanced practice nurses — whose roles require advanced degrees. Among them are nurse practitioners, who can diagnose illnesses and write prescriptions.

“Nurse practitioners provide the greatest number of primary care services in the United States,” she said. “We are currently experiencing a shortage of primary care. And we will continue [to have one]. We are not going to allow nurse practitioners to get the funding they need.

Kennedy said the new rules would exacerbate the nursing shortage in California and nationally because in most cases a doctorate is required to teach other nurses.

“We are short over 2,000 nursing faculty in the United States,” she said. “So it has a downward spiral effect. »

But the Department of Education’s “Myths vs. Reality” report, released Monday, says its data shows “95% of nursing students borrow below the annual loan limit and are therefore not affected by the new caps.”

“Additionally, capping loans will incentivize remaining graduate nursing programs to reduce their program costs, ensuring that nurses will not be saddled with unmanageable student debt,” the department said.

Kennedy said it would be very difficult for graduate nursing programs to reduce costs, due to the emphasis on hands-on training. “I’m not sure where nursing schools are supposed to be cut because faculty are already underpaid and these workloads are at a point where there is a need to ensure public safety by training new nurses,” she said.

Lin Zhan, dean of UCLA’s Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, said the proposed changes are “deeply concerning” and urged policymakers to reject them.

“We cannot afford to create barriers that limit entry and growth in this essential profession and any policy changes must prioritize expanding access and allowing professional nurses to practice with knowledge and compassion,” Zhan said. “Registered nurses play a vital role in health care… Their expertise is essential, especially as care becomes more complex and patient needs increase.

A coalition of health care organizations also urged the Department of Education to change course and noted that the excluded fields are largely occupied by women. According to a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau report, women made up about three-quarters of full-time, year-round health care workers in the United States and made up a much higher share in jobs such as dental and medical assistants.

Deborah Trautman, president of the American Assn. of Colleges of Nursing, said in a statement to the Times that “reducing the federal student loan cap for nurses pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees will likely discourage many from continuing their education.” »

“Yet nurses trained at these levels are essential to the workforce – as advanced practice nurses, professors, researchers and expert clinicians,” she said.

Associated Press journalists Collin Binkley and John Seewer contributed to this story.