Outrage Over Nursing Degree Reclassification

People across the country are furious after the Department of Education removed a popular college course from its list of professional degrees.

Under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, students in “professional degree” programs can borrow up to $200,000. All other students face a $100,000 loan cap.

However, the department excluded nursing from the professional category—a move that immediately sparked concern and backlash from healthcare groups.

A Decision That Alarms Healthcare Leaders

More than 260,000 students are currently enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, while another 42,000 pursue Associate Degrees in Nursing. Critics warn the new classification could reduce the number of future nurses across the country.

Nursing organizations quickly voiced their anger.
“Nursing is the backbone of the healthcare structure in the United States,” said Dr. Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nursing Association. She warned that the nation is already short tens of thousands of nurses. “This is going to stop nurses from going to school to be teachers for other nurses.”

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing echoed that concern. The group argued that removing nursing from the professional category “disregards decades of progress” and contradicts the department’s own definition of programs that lead directly to licensure and practice. They also warned that finalizing the proposal would have a “devastating” impact on the already strained nursing workforce.

Department of Education Defends Its Stance

Although it’s unclear whether nursing has ever officially been labeled a professional degree, the classification now directly affects student loan limits—making the change especially significant.

Despite widespread criticism, the Department of Education stood by its decision.
Spokesperson Ellen Keast told Newsweek that the department has used a consistent definition for decades. She added that institutions helped craft the language and accused some schools of “crying wolf” over regulations “that never existed” because “their unlimited tuition ride on the taxpayer dime is over.”

Who Still Qualifies as a Professional?

The department continues to classify the following fields as professional:
medicine, pharmacy, law, dentistry, osteopathic medicine, optometry, podiatry, chiropractic, veterinary medicine, theology, and clinical psychology.

Meanwhile, several fields—including physician assistants, physical therapists, educators, social workers, audiologists, architects, and accountants—did not make the list.