US Nursing Students Face Financial Restrictions Under Proposed Trump Administration Rule
A new proposal from the Trump administration has sparked widespread outcry among nursing advocates, who warn that it could exacerbate the nation's nurse shortage by limiting how much students can borrow to pursue their training. The rule, authorized under the Republicans' "one big, beautiful bill" act, would restrict student loan borrowing for professional degree programs, including those in pharmacy, dentistry, and medical doctors.
However, nursing professionals argue that this exclusion makes no sense, as they believe that advanced degrees are essential for providing high-quality patient care. The rule's definition of a professional degree would only apply to certain fields, leaving nursing students with significantly lower loan caps – $20,500 per year with a lifetime limit of $100,000.
Critics argue that this cap will ultimately restrict access to enrolling in degree programs at a time when the industry is already grappling with a severe shortage of nurses. "It feels like a miscommunication," said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association. "We hope the Department of Education changes the proposed language before it's adopted."
Nursing advocates are concerned that limiting student loan borrowing for nursing students could lead to decreased enrollment in degree programs, resulting in fewer nurses joining the workforce. As a result, primary care settings and hospitals will face significant shortages, particularly in rural communities.
The Education Department claims that 95% of nursing students won't be impacted by the new borrowing cap, but critics argue that this is not true. "It's going to limit the ability of nurses to apply for graduate school, and on the back end, it will limit the number of nurses available in primary care settings and in hospitals," said Olga Yakusheva, an economist and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
The proposal would also eliminate the Grad PLUS program, which allows graduate students to borrow up to the full cost of obtaining a degree. "It's a real gut punch," said Patricia Pittman, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health. "It will have a negative effect on morale within the nursing profession."
The Education Department says that institutions charging tuition rates well above market prices will consider lowering tuition thanks to these historic reforms. However, critics argue that this is not enough to address the financial barriers that nursing students will face.
As the proposal moves forward, nursing advocates are hopeful that it can be changed before its adoption. The rule will be published in the Federal Register and open for public comment, allowing stakeholders to weigh in on the issue.
A new proposal from the Trump administration has sparked widespread outcry among nursing advocates, who warn that it could exacerbate the nation's nurse shortage by limiting how much students can borrow to pursue their training. The rule, authorized under the Republicans' "one big, beautiful bill" act, would restrict student loan borrowing for professional degree programs, including those in pharmacy, dentistry, and medical doctors.
However, nursing professionals argue that this exclusion makes no sense, as they believe that advanced degrees are essential for providing high-quality patient care. The rule's definition of a professional degree would only apply to certain fields, leaving nursing students with significantly lower loan caps – $20,500 per year with a lifetime limit of $100,000.
Critics argue that this cap will ultimately restrict access to enrolling in degree programs at a time when the industry is already grappling with a severe shortage of nurses. "It feels like a miscommunication," said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association. "We hope the Department of Education changes the proposed language before it's adopted."
Nursing advocates are concerned that limiting student loan borrowing for nursing students could lead to decreased enrollment in degree programs, resulting in fewer nurses joining the workforce. As a result, primary care settings and hospitals will face significant shortages, particularly in rural communities.
The Education Department claims that 95% of nursing students won't be impacted by the new borrowing cap, but critics argue that this is not true. "It's going to limit the ability of nurses to apply for graduate school, and on the back end, it will limit the number of nurses available in primary care settings and in hospitals," said Olga Yakusheva, an economist and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
The proposal would also eliminate the Grad PLUS program, which allows graduate students to borrow up to the full cost of obtaining a degree. "It's a real gut punch," said Patricia Pittman, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health. "It will have a negative effect on morale within the nursing profession."
The Education Department says that institutions charging tuition rates well above market prices will consider lowering tuition thanks to these historic reforms. However, critics argue that this is not enough to address the financial barriers that nursing students will face.
As the proposal moves forward, nursing advocates are hopeful that it can be changed before its adoption. The rule will be published in the Federal Register and open for public comment, allowing stakeholders to weigh in on the issue.
... It's just not fair to limit student loan borrowing for nursing students. I mean, they're already struggling to make ends meet while they're trying to help people get better 
. The idea that $20,500 per year is enough is just crazy talk! What if a nurse needs to go back to school for a specialization or to become a nurse practitioner? That cap would basically lock them out 
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. If these students can't get loans, they'll just give up and won't be able to join the workforce. It's like the education department is trying to break the system instead of fixing it 
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. We need more nurses, not fewer! 
I'm only seeing this now lol what's going on with our education system? 
nursing students can't even get loans to pursue their dreams without being restricted by some super low cap of $20,500 per year... that's basically nothing for someone who wants to pay off a degree in 4-6 years. And the lifetime limit of $100,000 is just plain ridiculous, especially considering how much student debt we already have in this country. 
How are they expecting us to fix healthcare shortages when our own future nurses can't even get enough support? 
. I mean, come on, limiting student loan borrowing for nursing students is just plain cruel 
. If they're going to restrict borrowing, shouldn't it at least apply across the board? It feels like some people just want to make nursing more exclusive and hard to get into 
. I mean, I know the Education Department thinks they're helping by saying 95% of nursing students won't be impacted, but let's be real, that's not true 
. We need more nurses, and we can't do it if they're stuck with crippling student loans 
. The nursing profession is already under so much pressure, I don't think our country needs to make things harder for them 
.
The shortage of nurses is already real, and now they're gonna make it even harder for people to become nurses 
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. And what's wrong with limiting their loans anyway? I guess some people think that advanced degrees are essential for providing good patient care... yeah right, like just throwing more nurses at the problem is going to solve everything 
. Nursing students are already struggling with debt, and now they're trying to limit how much they can borrow? It's like the admin thinks these kids are just going to magically know how to pay their own way 
. Newsflash: nursing school is expensive, and many students end up defaulting on loans because of it. This rule is gonna make things worse, not better 
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i mean, what if they wanna specialize or work in a specific field that requires advanced education? 
lets keep our fingers crossed 
that's not true, and we all know it. This is a huge problem for rural communities where nurses are already in short supply. We need more nurses to care for our patients, especially in these underserved areas. I just hope the Department of Education changes this proposal before it's too late. 
It's just not right that only $20,500 a year with a $100k lifetime limit? 
. Hospitals already struggling to find nurses, now they're gonna lose more? 
This rule is just gonna make it harder for them to get the training they need 
. $20,500 a year with only $100k lifetime limit? That's like, almost impossible to pay off 