US EditionTrump administration plan to reduce access to some student loans angers nurses, health care groups
The proposal would cap federal loans for many graduate nursing students at $100,000, limiting funding access and potentially worsening the nursing shortage, critics say.
- Recently, the U.S. Department of Education proposed redefining 'professional student' programs, excluding graduate nursing degrees and reshaping loan eligibility with public comment early next year and implementation July 1, 2026.
- The department says the draft complies with President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, and Department of Education leaders relied on the 1965 law and negotiated rule-making committee 'RISE' to define professional programs.
- Under the proposal, professional-program borrowers could access $50,000 per year, while many nursing students face lower caps of $20,500; Kennedy warned `our education can be $150,000 to $200,000`.
- Nursing leaders say the proposal will worsen shortages and raise costs for students, with ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy warning it will reduce primary care providers and nurse educators; the department said students already enrolled would be grandfathered, with new caps effective next July.
- Critics note the exclusions disproportionately affect fields dominated by women, raising equity concerns, as the Trump administration ties the move to its One Big Beautiful Bill while the Department of Education press office cites historical precedent.
66 Articles
66 Articles
Trump plan could limit student loans for nurses and other health care workers
WASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of nursing and other health care organizations are angry over a Trump administration plan that could limit access to student loans in some cases. Students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy, public health and some other fields would face tighter federal student loan limits under the plan because it [...]
Trump’s Student Loan Overhaul Sparks Backlash From Health Sector
The Trump administration is facing backlash from nursing and health care groups over a new plan that would cap federal student loans for several graduate programs. Under the proposal, only select fields — including medicine, dentistry, law, and pharmacy — would qualify as “professional programs,” allowing students to borrow up to $50,000 a year and $200,000 total. ‘NURSES ARE CRITICAL TO THE HEALTH OF OUR NATION’A major federal policy change has…
Nurses, Healthcare Groups Up in Arms Over Trump's Student Loan Plan
(MedPage Today) -- A coalition of nursing and other healthcare organizations are angry over a Trump administration plan that could limit access to student loans in some cases. Students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy, public...
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