In July 2025, Congress passed H.R. 1, which included a provision creating different yearly and lifetime loan limits for graduate and professional students. The U.S. Department of Education has now released its proposed rule which defines nurse practitioner programs as graduate degree programs and not professional degree programs. If finalized, this could have a serious impact on the future nursing workforce and patients across the nation.

The Department of Education is accepting public comments on the proposed rule until March 2, 2026. In addition to sending your own comment to the Department of Education, please take a few moments to send an email to your Members of Congress urging them to sign onto a bipartisan, bicameral letter being circulated by Senators Merkley and Wicker and Representatives Kiggans and Bonamici that urges the Department to define post-baccalaureate nurses as a professional degree program. It is critically important that the Department of Education hear from Members of Congress.  The Congressional letter will close on February 25, 2026.