The landscape for future nurses might be taking a turn, with proposed changes to federal student loan rules making waves among those gearing up to enter the profession. Spectrum News has highlighted concerns from the University of Cincinnati’s nursing community, where recalibrating loan classifications could drastically alter the trajectory of students’ careers and financial planning.
Alicia Ribar, the dean of UC’s College of Nursing, raised the alarm in a Spectrum News report, noting that around 85% of the college’s nursing students are in need of financial aid. The proposed reclassification effectively removes several advanced nursing degree programs from the “professional” category, thus trimming down the max federal borrowing limit to a scant $20,500 per year and imposing a lifetime cap of $100,000.
This financial squeeze could be notably concerning for students like Megan Romero and Nevaeh Haskins, both seniors practicing their skills in the college’s Simulation Lab. Romero is setting her sights on becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), a dream that involves costly further education. Spectrum News quoted her worries about the future of her career: “My goal is to work in the pediatric ICU to gain experience, to be able to apply for CRNA school,” according to UC News…