AWHONN is disappointed by the Department of Education’s final rule released April 30, Reimagining and Improving Student Education – Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations, that excludes students enrolled in graduate degree nursing programs from the higher U.S. Department of Education’s professional degree loan category.
This will negatively impact future numbers of registered nurses, women’s health nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, perinatal clinical nurse specialists, neonatal nurse practitioners, and obstetric certified registered nurse anesthetists.
The U.S. faces a severe nursing workforce shortage: Approximately 120,000–140,000 nurses graduate with advanced degrees annually in the United States each year [1], but an additional 31,900 advanced practice registered nurses will be necessary each year through 2032 to meet the need for nursing school faculty and to fill the gap of healthcare providers. Over 80,000 qualified applications were turned away from graduate and undergraduate nursing programs in 2024 due primarily to a shortage of faculty [2]. Future nursing faculty need master’s and doctoral education, exactly the programs jeopardized by the new loan classification.
The consequences extend directly to patient care. Nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses are often the primary health care providers in rural and underserved counties. The Department of Education’s loan limits will make it harder for future clinicians to complete the advanced training needed to practice and reduce access to care for patients, particularly in maternal and infant health, leading to delays in treatment and poorer patient outcomes.
Nursing students in accelerated or doctoral programs often hit the lower graduate loan caps (e.g., $20,500/year; $100,000 total), threatening their ability to finish programs essential for licensure. Professional caps ($50,000/year; $200,000 total) reflect the actual cost of advanced professional preparation.
This short-sighted decision to exclude students enrolled in graduate degree nursing programs from the higher U.S. Department of Education’s professional degree loan category will have a long-lasting and damaging impact on our health care system. Congress should act to override this rule and ensure graduate nursing students have access to the professional loan category necessary to complete their education and meet the nation’s health care needs.
[1] American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Research snapshot: Nurse practitioner (NP) student Trends, 2015-2024. https://storage.aanp.org/www/documents/research/NP_Student_Snapshot_2015-2024.pdf.
[2] American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Schools of Nursing Enrollment Increases Across Most Program Levels, Signaling Strong Interest in Nursing Careers. June 17, 2025. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/schools-of-nursing-enrollment-increases-across-most-program-levels-signaling-strong-interest-in-nursing-careers
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