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11h ago

140+ Lawmakers Press Education Dept. to Classify Nursing as Professional in Loan-Cap Plan

The department says most nursing borrowers fall under the proposed limits, with July 2026 targeted after public comment.

FILE - People protest outside the White House in Washington, May 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The US will require H-1B applicants to make their social media public for visa vetting, a State Department spokesperson said.

Overview

  • The Trump administration’s draft defines a narrow set of “professional” graduate programs with higher federal borrowing limits and excludes nursing from that list.
  • Under the proposal, professional programs could access up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 lifetime, while other graduate programs would be capped at $20,500 per year and $100,000 lifetime.
  • More than 140 members of Congress, led by Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, and Rep. Jen Kiggans, urged adding advanced nursing degrees to the professional category.
  • Lawmakers and nursing groups warn the lower cap could price out high-cost tracks such as certified registered nurse anesthetist programs that can exceed $200,000 and exacerbate shortages in underserved areas.
  • Education Department officials say 95% of nursing students already borrow within the proposed limits and note grandfathering for current students, with the Grad PLUS phaseout and formal rulemaking still underway.