(WDNews) — Concerns are mounting among national nursing leaders after the Trump administration removed nursing programs from the Department of Education’s newly defined list of “professional degrees,” a move tied to sweeping changes in federal student loan rules.
Under the proposal, part of President Donald Trump’s broader “One Big Beautiful Bill,” students enrolled in certain professional tracks would qualify for up to $200,000 in federal loans, while all other graduate students would be restricted to $100,000, according to Newsweek.
The approved list includes fields such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, pharmacy, theology, veterinary medicine, osteopathic medicine, chiropractic, podiatry, and clinical psychology.
Nursing, advanced nursing practice, physician assistant programs, and physical therapy programs were not included, despite their major roles in the nation’s health-care system.
In a statement issued November 10, 2025, the American Nurses Association warned the change could worsen existing staffing shortages.
“Nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce and the backbone of our nation’s health system,” said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the ANA. “At a time when healthcare in our country faces a historic nurse shortage and rising demands, limiting nurses’ access to funding for graduate education threatens the very foundation of patient care.”
Kennedy noted that the impact would be felt most in rural and underserved regions, where advanced practice registered nurses often serve as the primary access point for health care.
“In many communities across the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas, advanced practice registered nurses ensure access to essential, high-quality care that would otherwise be unavailable,” she said. “We urge the Department of Education to recognize nursing as the essential profession it is and ensure access to loan programs that make advanced nursing education possible.”
The ANA is calling on federal officials to engage with nursing organizations and revise the definition to include nursing education pathways, emphasizing that maintaining a strong nursing workforce is critical for safe, quality care moving forward.
The Department of Education has not indicated whether it will reconsider the classification.
