A coalition of groups representing nurses and other health professional organizations are speaking out against the Trump administration’s plan that would limit access to student loans.
Students pursuing graduate studies in nursing, physical therapy, public health and some other fields would face stricter limits on taking out federal loans to pay for their studies, under the plan, since they would not be considered professional programs.
The reform is part of the “Great and Beautiful Law” (Big Beautiful Bill) of Trump, which was approved by Congress this year.
While previously graduate students could take out loans equal to the cost of earning their degree, the new rules would set limits based on whether it is considered a graduate or professional program.
The Department of Education defined the following fields as professional programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.
They are excluded nursing, physical therapy, dental hygiene, occupational therapy and social workas well as fields outside of healthcare, such as architecture, education and accounting.
Although the plan is still being finalized, the new limits on student loans would take effect next July.
Why is this happening now?
The Trump Administration stated that it is necessary to limit loans for graduate studies in order to reduce tuition costs. In his view, this will force universities that charge above-average prices to consider reducing fees.
To define what is considered a professional program, the Department of Education relies on a 1965 law that regulates financial aid to students. The legislation includes several examples of professional titles, but notes that this is not an exhaustive list. The Trump Administration’s proposal establishes that only the degrees specified in the new regulations can be considered professional programs.
In 2022, one in six registered nurses in the United States had a master’s degree, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Details of the plan have recently been debated in a federal rulemaking process.
What does this mean for students?
Some prospective students may find it more expensive or difficult to obtain a specialized degree. Students in professional programs could borrow $50,000 a year and up to $200,000 in total, under the new plan.
Other graduate students, such as those studying nursing and physical therapy, would be limited to $20,500 a year and up to $100,000 in total.
The impact of the measure
The Department of Education noted that its data shows that 95% of nursing students, for example, are in graduate programs that will not be affected by the new limits.
The department said the vast majority of students take programs that cost less than the proposed $100,000 limit on federal student loans.
Students already enrolled in graduate programs would benefit from the current loan limits.
Shortage of nurses, a key profession
A coalition of health organizations has urged the Department of Education to change course, arguing that graduate health science degrees needed for licensure or certification should be considered professional degrees.
They have also argued that the fields being excluded are mostly occupied by women and are in high demand. Women accounted for about three-quarters of full-time, year-round health care workers in the United States, and they accounted for a much larger share in vacancies such as dental assistants and physicians, according to a 2019 Census Bureau report.
The organizations have argued that limiting federal student loans will further exacerbate the current nursing shortage, force students to take out more expensive private loans, and jeopardize patient care.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported that if the proposal is approved, “the impact on our nursing workforce, which already faces great challenges, would be devastating.”
Giving nurses the opportunity to expand their training and advance their careers has attracted young people to the profession, said Susan Pratt, a nurse and president of a union representing her colleagues in Toledo, Ohio.
But making that difficult could drive away future nurses, she warned.
“It’s a slap in the face,” Pratt added. “When we were in the middle of the pandemic, nurses came to the rescue, and this is the gratitude we received.”
