Buried within the “One Big Beautiful Bill” is what many see as a slap in the face to frontline healthcare workers. According to a November 6 press release from the Department of Education, nursing—along with several other health and education fields—has been excluded from the newly revised list of “professional degrees.”
The decision imposes strict caps on student loans for graduate-level programs. Students pursuing degrees not deemed “professional” by the federal government will be limited to $20,500 per year in federal loans, with a $100,000 lifetime cap. In contrast, students in approved “professional” programs—such as medicine, dentistry, and law—can borrow up to $50,000 annually, with a $200,000 lifetime cap.
Nursing didn’t make the cut…