Nursing organisations have expressed deep concern after the US Department of Education excluded nursing from the definition of a 'professional degree' under President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'. The move, part of sweeping cuts to student loans overseen by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, limits access to federal funding for nursing students.
Under the legislation, only students in 'professional degree' programmes are eligible for higher loan limits of up to $200,000, while graduate students are capped at $100,000. Excluding nursing from this category effectively prices many aspiring nurses out of their studies, campaigners warn. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing called the decision 'devastating' for an already-challenged workforce.
Dr Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nursing Association, told NewsNation: 'Nursing is the backbone of the healthcare structure in the United States. We are short tens of thousands of nurses and advanced practice nurses already. This is going to stop nurses from going to school to be teachers for other nurses.' Mary Turner, president of National Nurses United, said the administration's priorities were 'at odds with the needs of nurses and patients'.
The Department of Education dismissed the concerns as 'fake news', with press secretary Ellen Keast stating that the definition aligns with historical precedent and that institutions were 'crying wolf' over the end of an 'unlimited tuition ride on the taxpayer dime'. The department did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
Other professions excluded from the professional degree classification include physician assistants, physical therapists, educators, social workers, audiologists, architects and accountants. Degrees deemed professional include medicine, pharmacy, law, dentistry, and theology, prompting criticism from figures such as US Senate candidate Amy McGrath, who questioned why a theologian is considered more professional than a nurse practitioner.
