A bipartisan group of more than 140 members of Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to its list of "professional" graduate programs after the proposed rule excluded nurses. The rule would let students in professional fields borrow up to $200,000 total ($50,000 per year), while others would be capped at $100,000 total ($20,500 per year). Lawmakers warn the lower cap would make expensive programs like nurse anesthetist training unaffordable, push students toward private loans, and harm care access in rural and underserved areas.
Lawmakers Urge Education Department To Designate Nursing As 'Professional' Degree Amid Loan-Cap Outcry
FILE - People protest outside the White House in Washington, May 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
A bipartisan group of more than 140 members of Congress is pressing the U.S. Department of Education to add nursing to its list of graduate programs defined as "professional," after the agency’s proposed rule excluded nurses and drew widespread criticism.
The administration’s proposal would allow students in fields designated as "professional" to borrow up to $200,000 in federal graduate loans in total (with an annual limit of $50,000). Students in other graduate programs would face a $100,000 lifetime cap and a $20,500 annual limit. Until now, many graduate students have been able to borrow federal loans up to the full cost of their programs.
Why Lawmakers Object
In a letter sent Friday, lawmakers warned that the $100,000 cap would make it difficult or impossible for students to afford costly, high-demand nursing programs — notably training for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), which can exceed $200,000 in total tuition and related costs. They also noted that year-round nurse practitioner programs, which charge for three terms instead of two, often exceed the proposed annual cap.
“A restrictive interpretation would undermine our healthcare and education systems, weaken our workforce, and close doors for low-income, first-generation, and immigrant students,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said, stressing that many students in his South Bronx district could be pushed toward riskier private loans or priced out entirely.
The bipartisan letter was led by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), leaders of the Senate and House nursing caucuses. It was signed by lawmakers from both parties, including 12 Republicans.
Department Rationale and Next Steps
The Education Department says the loan limits are intended to create incentives for colleges to control tuition. In deciding which fields count as "professional," the department cited examples in a 1965 federal law that lists several professional programs but does not provide an exhaustive catalogue. The department adopted those examples as the basis of its initial definition.
Under the current proposal, the programs the department treats as professional are pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology. Nursing, along with other fields such as physical therapy and social work, was not included — prompting pushback from professional associations and congressional supporters of nursing programs.
Department officials have indicated the definition could change during the formal federal rulemaking process, and congressional pressure is mounting as stakeholders warn the policy could narrow access to critical health-care training and worsen workforce shortages in rural and underserved communities.
Based on Associated Press reporting.
