Lawmakers Urge Education Department to Add Nursing to ‘Professional’ List

Introduction to the Issue

A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to a list of college programs that are considered “professional,” adding to public outcry after nurses were omitted from a new agency definition.
By COLLIN BINKLEY, Associated Press Education Writer

The Current Situation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s list of professional programs includes medicine, law and theology but leaves out nursing and some other fields that industry groups had asked to be included. The “professional” label would allow students to borrow larger amounts of federal loans to pursue graduate degrees in those fields.

Loan Caps for Graduate Programs

Under new rules proposed by the Trump administration, students in graduate programs deemed professional could borrow up to $200,000 for their degrees in total, and up to $50,000 a year. Loans for other graduate programs would be capped at $100,000 in total and $20,500 per year. In the past, graduate students had been able to borrow federal loans up to the full cost of their programs.

Impact on Nursing Students

In a Friday letter, lawmakers argue that a $100,000 cap on nursing graduate programs would make it harder for students to pay for expensive but high-demand programs, like those for nurse anesthetists. The annual cap would also pinch students in year-round nurse practitioner programs, which charge for three terms a year rather than just two and often cost more than $20,500 a year, they wrote.

Response from the Education Department

Asked for comment, the Education Department referred to a previous statement saying that 95% of nursing students are studying in programs that won’t be affected by the new caps. Programs for certified nurse anesthetists can cost more than $200,000, lawmakers said, but the programs typically pay off and supply a workforce that “overwhelmingly provides anesthesia to rural and underserved communities where higher cost physicians do not practice.”

Bipartisan Support

The letter was signed by more than 140 lawmakers, including 12 Republicans. It was sent 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. Another Democrat, Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, sent a similar letter this week. Excluding nurses would require students to take out riskier private loans or put tuition out of reach entirely, said Torres, who represents the South Bronx.

Rationale Behind the New Loan Caps

The Trump administration has said new loan caps are needed to pressure colleges to reduce tuition prices. In deciding what would count as a professional degree, the department relied on a 1965 law governing student financial aid. The law lays out several examples of professional programs but says it is not an exhaustive list. The Trump administration adopted those examples as the only fields in its definition.

Current Professional Degrees

Those deemed professional are: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology. The definition drew blowback from nursing organizations and other industry groups that were left out, including physical therapists and social workers. Department officials have said the new proposal may change as it’s finalized in a federal rulemaking process.

Conclusion

The exclusion of nursing from the list of professional programs has significant implications for students pursuing graduate degrees in this field. Lawmakers and industry groups are urging the Education Department to reconsider its definition to ensure that nursing students have access to sufficient financial aid. The outcome of this debate will have a substantial impact on the future of the nursing workforce and the healthcare system as a whole.

FAQs

• Q: What is the current list of professional programs according to the Trump administration?
  A: The list includes pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology, and clinical psychology.
• Q: Why are lawmakers urging the Education Department to add nursing to the list of professional programs?
  A: Lawmakers argue that the current loan caps for nursing graduate programs would make it harder for students to pay for expensive but high-demand programs, and that nursing programs typically pay off and supply a critical workforce.
• Q: What are the proposed loan caps for graduate programs deemed professional and those that are not?
  A: For professional programs, students could borrow up to $200,000 in total and up to $50,000 a year. For other graduate programs, loans would be capped at $100,000 in total and $20,500 per year.
• Q: How might the exclusion of nursing from the professional list affect students?
  A: Excluding nurses would require students to take out riskier private loans or put tuition out of reach entirely, potentially undermining the healthcare and education systems and closing doors for low-income, first-generation, and immigrant students.