The Education Department excluded nursing from the list of fields eligible for a $200,000 lifetime student-loan cap created by this year’s GOP domestic bill, leaving many advanced nursing programs effectively limited to $100,000 in lifetime borrowing. Moderate Republican lawmakers from swing districts, led by Rep. Mike Lawler and Rep. Jen Kiggans, are pushing legislation to add nursing and allied health fields to the top cap. Nursing leaders warn the omission could deter nurse practitioners and faculty and worsen workforce shortages as advanced nursing roles are projected to grow rapidly; the department counters that most nursing students borrow below limits and that caps could curb tuition inflation.
GOP Moderates Press Education Dept. After Nursing Is Excluded From Top $200K Loan Cap
Moderate House Republicans are pushing back after the Education Department left nursing off the list of professions eligible for the highest lifetime student-loan cap in a GOP domestic policy bill. Lawmakers, nursing school deans and advocacy groups warn the omission could discourage people from pursuing advanced nursing roles — including nurse practitioners, educators and researchers — at a time when demand for those professionals is expected to surge.
What Happened
The GOP’s domestic policy package established lifetime borrowing caps for students in graduate and professional programs. When the Education Department finalized which fields qualify for the $200,000 lifetime cap this fall, nursing was not included among the 11 identified professional fields. Students in other graduate programs face a $100,000 lifetime cap — an amount that may not fully cover some advanced nursing programs.
Why It Matters
Deans and nursing organizations warn that the lower cap could deter prospective nurse practitioners, nurse researchers and nurse educators. Those roles require advanced degrees and are critical to patient care, medical education and clinical leadership. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs for nurses with advanced degrees — such as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners — will grow about 35% from 2024 to 2034, compared with roughly 3% for all occupations.
Lawmakers And Responses
A group of swing-district Republicans — led by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rob Bressack (R-Pa.) and Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) — is sponsoring legislation to add nursing (and allied health fields such as occupational therapy, social work, audiology and physician assistant) to the department’s list of fields eligible for the higher cap. The five lawmakers also joined a bipartisan letter urging the Education Department to include nursing.
"There’s a very easy way to solve this," Rep. Mike Lawler said. "Given the workforce shortages across the health-care sector, clarifying this in my mind is vital. I don’t think that this is that controversial."
Kiggans, a nurse practitioner and vice co-chair of the House nursing caucus, said she discussed the issue with Education Undersecretary Nicholas Kent and called the omission "disrespectful to nurses."
Education Department Position
The Education Department says its definition of "professional student" was based on an existing federal definition and was meant to target very expensive programs while protecting borrowers from excessive debt. Officials point to department data showing roughly 95% of nursing students borrow below the annual loan limit and therefore would not be affected by the new lifetime caps. The department also argues that allowing unlimited borrowing for some programs has contributed to tuition inflation and that the new caps could help rein in costs.
Cost And Workforce Context
Cost data underscore the concern: 2020 figures from the National Center for Education Statistics show average Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program costs ranging from about $15,030 to $42,880, while Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs range from roughly $63,570 to $172,280. The department also notes that about 80% of the nursing workforce does not hold a graduate degree, but nursing deans emphasize that many faculty and leadership roles require advanced credentials — and capped loans could make it harder to recruit and retain nurse educators.
"Every single one of my faculty who is a licensed nurse practitioner could be paid much more in clinical roles than I can pay them to teach," said Annette Wysocki, dean of the School of Nursing at the University at Buffalo.
Next Steps
Lawmakers have introduced legislation and pressed the Education Department for a change. Officials note that Congress could amend the statute governing the definition of "professional student," and the department could issue responsive regulations. Meanwhile, the debate centers on how to balance protecting borrowers and preventing tuition inflation with ensuring adequate access to advanced nursing education and the educators who train the next generation of nurses.
