Nursing Associations’ Challenge Revoked Exclusion from Federal Student Loan Caps
Numerous nursing associations have joined a federal lawsuit launched by several Democrat-led states in response to the Department of Education’s final rule that removes advanced nursing degrees from the definition of “professional degree” for federal student loan purposes. Absent such inclusion, nurses seeking post-baccalaureate nursing degrees will be subject to the $100K aggregate cap on federal loans for graduate education. This move could force many graduate nursing students to rely upon high-interest loans or forego furthering their education altogether. In turn, fewer advanced practice nurses (APNs) may enter the workforce in coming years, threatening an already severe shortage of primary care practitioners. The Department of Education claims the rule will incentivize institutions to control increasing tuition costs. The rule goes into effect July 1.
