Dear AACN Advocate,

We need your help! The Department of Education (ED) has released its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking identifying “professional degree” programs, which does not include nursing. The public comment period on the proposed rule is currently open, and we are asking you to submit a personalized comment to ED highlighting your perspective as a student asking that nursing be included as a “professional degree” in their final rule. Please submit your comments to the Department of Education AS SOON AS POSSIBLE in February before the official March 2 deadline. If finalized as currently written, the Department’s proposed rule would significantly reduce the federal loan amounts available to post-baccalaureate nursing students, which would have direct impacts on the future nursing workforce.

On the right-hand side of your screen, you will see that AACN has prepared a customizable message that you can send directly to the Department:

• Review the prepared comments.
• Personalize the comments. In between the first and second paragraphs, we strongly encourage you to add 3-5 sentences explaining how the proposed rule personally impacts you.
• Submit your comments AS SOON AS POSSIBLE in February before the official March 2 deadline.

Background

AACN is the leading voice urging the inclusion of nursing as a “professional degree.” In November 2025, the Department of Education (ED) completed negotiated rulemaking meetings with the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee to inform how the Department will implement changes to student financial aid provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). Negotiators for the RISE Committee deliberated the definitions of “graduate” and “professional degree” programs, a distinction that will severely impact the federal loan amounts available to post-baccalaureate nursing students. Ultimately, the RISE Committee’s definition of “professional degree” did not include post-baccalaureate nursing education.

The recently released NPRM includes this definition of a “professional degree.” As a result, students enrolled in master’s and doctoral nursing programs will be eligible for significantly lower annual and aggregate federal loans compared to students in “professional” programs ($20,500 annually and $100,000 in total borrowing for “graduate degrees”, compared to $50,000 annually and $200,000 in total for “professional degrees”). If not revised, this proposed rule will have direct financial, workforce, and public health implications as nursing students potentially face the decision to take out high-interest, private loans or abandon advanced practice education altogether. 

These proposed changes are not yet finalized, and we have the opportunity to provide public comment urging the Department of Education to include nursing as a “professional degree.”

We need to make sure that the Department understands the negative impacts that finalizing this proposed rule as written would have on our nursing schools, faculty, students, and the future health workforce, especially in rural communities. 

As we continue to actively engage in this implementation process, we appreciate your advocacy on this time-sensitive request. Please make your voice heard today!