As the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed in July, now goes into effect, the Department of Education is tasked with reducing government support for graduate school loans. The Department’s recommendation would cap graduate loan amounts based on certain definitions. The proposed definition of ‘professional degree’ programs excludes nursing, making them ineligible for the higher loan cap

Excluding nursing from the definition of ‘professional degrees’ caps the amount of federal loans graduate nursing students can receive. The graduate loan cap is $20,500 annually and $100,000 total, while the ‘Professional’ loan cap is $50,000 annually and $200,000 total

If not corrected, this exclusion would have direct financial, workforce, and public health implications as nursing students potentially abandon advanced practice education altogether.

Call your Members of Congress to encourage them to contact leadership at the Department of Education to express the importance of maintaining access to financial aid for advanced nursing students.