A proposed federal policy change is sparking fierce reaction across the healthcare sector.
The Trump administration is moving to reclassify nursing degrees, excluding them from being considered a “professional degree.” The move will significantly lower the cap on federal student loans available for graduate nursing students.
The move came as a big surprise to the nursing community which argues the new barrowing limits are going to make the cost of education an impossible barrier.
Under the new rule from the department of education, degrees like medicine, law, and dentistry maintain their status as “professional degrees,” but nursing programs are being excluded from that category.
Dean of Boston College’s Connel School of Nursing, Katherine Gregory, calls the move “an insult.”
“The department of education has really sent a signal to nursing that they don’t value us in the same way that they do other professions,” Gregory said.
The dean says this announcement means there’s a new, lower cap on federal borrowing. Students in a designated professional program can borrow up to $200,000 total, but for graduate nursing students, that limit would drop to $100,000. Gregory believes this move is a direct threat to the healthcare workforce.
“I think this is going to have serious consequences, not only for the many thousands of people who are currently enrolled in nursing school but perhaps more importantly, the patients and families who they take care of,” Gregory said.
In Massachusetts, a state already struggling with a nurse staffing crisis, some people, like Christa Withrow, believe this move devalues the profession, and will deter people from pursuing advance degrees.
“They are professionals. To classify it as anything else is just pure dangerous,” Withrow said.
Clare McDonagh is a nurse and feels nothing can detract from her profession.
“My nursing degree is a professional degree. I am a professional. I’m licensed,” McDonagh said.
It’s a sentiment the dean agrees with.
“America’s most trusted profession is a profession,” Gregory said.
The new limits are set to take effect next year, but advocates are urging lawmakers to try to reverse the decision.
Ellen Keast, Press Secretary for Higher Education within the Department of Education responded to these concerns writing,
“Misinformation on TikTok has caused confusion about the Trump Administration’s ongoing actions to implement student loan caps for graduate students. While still in development, the Trump Administration is implementing long-needed loan limits on graduate loans to drive down the cost of programs, and under the new limits, graduate nursing students will still be eligible to borrow up to $100,000 in federal student loans for their graduate programs. According to Department data, 95% of nursing students are studying in programs that won’t be affected by the new caps. As for the most expensive outlying 5%, enrolled students are grandfathered into current lending limits to ensure there are no barriers to completion. We expect that institutions charging tuition rates well above market prices will consider lowering tuition thanks to these historic reforms.”
— Ellen Keast, Press Secretary for Higher Education
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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