U.S. nursing leaders are warning of far‑reaching damage after the Department of Education’s RISE committee agreed on November 12, 2025, to a new definition of professional degree programs under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that would exclude nursing, a shift that could sharply cut federal loan access for future graduate‑level nurses in the 🇺🇸.
What the proposal would do
Under the proposal, described in committee materials and summarized by nursing groups, only a narrow band of fields would count as professional degree programs. To qualify, a program would have to:
- represent completion of academic requirements for entry‑level practice in a profession,
- require at least six years of doctoral‑level study,
- lead to a license, and
- fall in the same Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) family as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, theology, and closely related areas.
Although nursing sits inside the broad CIP series 51 for “health professions,” it is not grouped in what the department calls the same “intermediate group” as the specified fields. Because of that technical placement, post‑baccalaureate nursing tracks such as the Master of Science in Nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and even research‑focused nursing PhD programs would fall outside the professional category despite demanding graduate education and, in many cases, advanced licensure.
Financial impact on students
The financial stakes are clear in early descriptions of the policy. Graduate‑level nursing students would face an annual federal loan cap of about $20,000 per year, while students enrolled in recognized professional degree programs could borrow up to $50,000 per year.
| Item | Current/Recognized Professional Programs | Proposed Graduate Nursing Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Annual federal loan cap | $50,000 per year | $20,000 per year |
| Effect on tuition coverage | Often covers a large share of costs | May not cover tuition at private or out‑of‑state public schools |
| Likely student response | Continue advanced training using federal loans | Seek higher‑interest private loans or abandon plans |
For students already stretching to cover tuition, books, clinical fees, and living costs, that gap could decide whether advanced training is possible at all. Many graduate‑level nursing tracks charge tuition similar to other health‑profession programs, and some require students to cut back on employment to meet clinical hour demands. A cap near $20,000 per year may not cover tuition, leaving students to seek higher‑interest private loans or to abandon plans for advanced study.
Reactions from nursing organizations
Leaders at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), which represents academic nursing programs, reacted with alarm after reviewing the draft language. The group warned that the proposal “defines professional programs so narrowly that nursing, the nation’s largest healthcare profession, remains excluded,” adding that if it moves forward in its current form, “the impact on our already‑challenged nursing workforce would be devastating.”
The American Nurses Association (ANA), the main national body for registered nurses, said in its own statement that cutting nursing out of the list of professional degree programs “threatens our capacity to educate, recruit, and retain the nurses this country desperately needs.”
“When a federal agency decides nursing is not a professional field, students hear that, families hear that, and employers hear that,” one college dean said after a meeting about the proposal.
Workforce and patient care implications
Those reactions arrive as hospitals, clinics, and long‑term care centers already report difficulty filling vacancies. Advocates argue that anything making advanced nursing education harder to finance will hurt both patients and students.
A master’s or doctoral credential can prepare nurses to:
– run primary care clinics,
– manage hospital units,
– design quality‑improvement systems, and
– teach the next generation of staff.
If fewer students can afford those degrees because nursing is no longer treated as a professional field for loan purposes, critics say shortages in leadership and faculty roles will deepen.
Impact on universities and programs
Universities are trying to read the signals while planning upcoming admission cycles. Responses include:
- Warning prospective students that federal funding rules could change.
- Modeling how many students might be priced out if borrowing power is reduced.
- Assessing whether institutional scholarships could fill gaps.
- Considering the viability of smaller colleges if enrollment in nursing master’s and doctoral tracks falls sharply.
For smaller institutions, a steep enrollment drop could threaten the survival of nursing programs altogether.
Rulemaking timeline and how to respond
The Department of Education has not yet released full regulatory text, but officials plan to publish a formal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the coming weeks. Once posted on the federal rulemaking portal, that document will trigger a 30‑day public comment period.
During that window, professional associations, schools, students, and members of the public will be able to submit comments arguing for or against the draft definition of professional degree programs under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Nursing groups say they will use that process aggressively. They are urging faculty, students, and patients to explain in written comments why nursing should be treated alongside medicine, dentistry, and other long‑training professions.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, large, coordinated comment campaigns have sometimes pushed federal agencies to revise education and immigration rules before they become final, especially when comments point to legal or practical problems the initial drafts did not fully address.
Political context and arguments
The professional degree definition is one piece of the sprawling One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which touches many aspects of federal education policy.
- Supporters of the tighter list privately argue that setting a high threshold for doctoral‑level study and specific CIP groupings keeps the category focused and prevents loan programs from expanding too quickly.
- Opponents counter that such line‑drawing can ignore how modern professions actually function, especially in team‑based health systems where advanced practice nurses often perform roles similar to physicians.
What happens next
Officials emphasize that the rulemaking process allows time for adjustment, and nothing will change until a final rule is issued and an effective date is set through the U.S. Department of Education. Still, advocates stress that the framing of nursing in early documents sends a symbolic message that could affect perceptions and decisions by students, families, and employers.
For now, nursing students watching the debate around professional degree programs under OBBBA can:
The NPRM is coming; a 30-day comment window will open after publication. Mark the date, set reminders, and prepare a set of talking points to submit before the deadline.
- Monitor the NPRM when it is published.
- Prepare to submit written comments during the 30‑day public comment period.
- Share personal and professional stories explaining why federal recognition and loan access for graduate nursing education matter.
Those steps could influence the final rule — and, ultimately, whether future nurses can access the funding needed to pursue advanced roles.
The RISE committee’s draft definition of professional degree programs under OBBBA would exclude most graduate nursing tracks by requiring six years of doctoral study, license alignment, and specific CIP grouping. That change could cap federal graduate nursing loans at roughly $20,000 annually versus $50,000 for recognized programs, jeopardizing access to advanced nursing education, program enrollment, and workforce capacity. The Department will publish an NPRM and a 30-day comment period; nursing groups urge coordinated public comments to preserve funding eligibility.
