Nursing Left Out: Lawmakers Push for Fair Loan Access

A big group of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are pushing the Education Department to include nursing in a special list of "professional" programs. This comes after nurses were left out of a new rule that lets students borrow more money for certain graduate degrees. Right now, the list includes things like medicine, law, and theology, but not nursing. This label is important because it lets students take out bigger federal loans for these programs. Under the new rules, students in these "professional" programs can borrow up to $200, 000 in total and $50, 000 per year. Other graduate programs are capped at $100, 000 total and $20, 500 per year. Lawmakers argue that this cap could make it tough for students to pay for expensive nursing programs, like those for nurse anesthetists. These programs can cost more than $200, 000, but they often pay off and help fill a need in rural and underserved areas. The Education Department says that 95% of nursing students won't be affected by the new caps. But lawmakers say that the annual cap could still hurt students in year-round programs, which often cost more than $20, 500 per year. The letter was signed by more than 140 lawmakers, including 12 Republicans. It was led by Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, and Rep. Jen Kiggans, who are leaders of the Senate and House nursing caucuses. Another lawmaker, Rep. Ritchie Torres, sent a similar letter. He said that excluding nurses could force students to take out riskier private loans or make tuition unaffordable. He also said that this could hurt the healthcare and education systems and make it harder for low-income, first-generation, and immigrant students to get an education. The Trump administration says that the new loan caps are meant to pressure colleges to lower tuition prices. The department based its definition of "professional" programs on a 1965 law, but the list is not exhaustive. The administration chose to stick to the examples listed in the law. Other groups, like physical therapists and social workers, were also left out of the list. Department officials say that the proposal may change as it goes through the federal rulemaking process.