The U.S. Department of Education is excluding nursing programs from how it defines a professional degree, capping federal student loans for those seeking a graduate degree in nursing.
Janelle Matthews is a registered nurse at Brooklyn Hospital and also teaches nursing. She said her students are panicked about the repercussions of this change.
"What if they decide now that because there’s no funding for their education to continue, that they’re going to drop out?" said Matthews. "That increases the deficit we’re already seeing at the bedside."
The Department of Education argues the new caps on loans won’t have a widespread impact, noting based on data, 95% of nursing students borrow less than the annual loan limit, and that most nurses don’t have graduate degrees.
But Matthews said the change will have a significant impact on how nurses can practice.
"Not being able to pursue higher education to obtain your goal," said Matthews, "and be able to become a nurse practitioner in areas such as psych where there’s a significant need, especially due to the increased anxiety in this post-COVID era, and also the current political climate."
The change is part of the larger One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Department of Education says capping loans will act as a means for graduate nursing programs to reduce their program costs, so nurses will not be saddled with student loan debt.
