A dramatic political cartoon-style image showing a furious nurse in scrubs standing in front of a chalkboard with "Professional Degree" crossed out in red, while a caricature of Donald Trump in the background signs a document labeled "Bill."
Outrage over Trump's Bill Reclassifying Nursing as Not a 'Professional Degree' for College Students
The Trump administration's recent enactment of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" has redefined the classification of "professional degrees," notably excluding nursing from this category. This reclassification has significant implications for nursing students' access to federal student loans.
Key Changes Under the New Bill
Loan Limits: Graduate students are now capped at borrowing $100,000, whereas those in designated "professional degree" programs can borrow up to $200,000.
Excluded Professions: Nursing, along with fields such as physician assistance, physical therapy, education, social work, audiology, architecture, and accounting, has been omitted from the "professional degree" classification.
Included Professions: The bill recognizes degrees in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, law, veterinary medicine, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, chiropractic, theology, and clinical psychology as "professional."
Reactions from the Nursing Community
The American Nurses Association (ANA) has expressed deep concern, stating that limiting access to funding for nursing education "threatens the very foundation of patient care." ANA President Dr. Jennifer Mensik Kennedy highlighted the existing shortage of nurses and advanced practice nurses, emphasizing that this policy change could deter individuals from pursuing nursing education, thereby exacerbating the shortage.
Similarly, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing has called for the Department of Education to reconsider its decision, arguing that excluding nursing from the professional degree definition undermines decades of progress toward parity across health professions.
Criticism and Broader Implications
Critics, including Mary Turner, RN, President of National Nurses United, have accused the administration of prioritizing policies that are "at odds with the needs of nurses and patients." Concerns have been raised that the exclusion of nursing and other fields predominantly occupied by women may disproportionately impact women's access to professional careers.
The Department of Education has defended its stance, stating that the definition aligns with historical precedents and that the consensus-based language reflects this.
These changes are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
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