The Trump administration is facing growing pushback after the U.S. Department of Education excluded nursing from its internal list of “professional degree” programs—an administrative definition that determines how much federal student loan funding graduate students can access under a new loan-cap framework.
Under the new structure, students in programs deemed “professional” may borrow up to $50,000 per year with a $200,000 lifetime cap, while students in other graduate programs are capped at $20,500 annually and $100,000 total.
Nursing, along with several other health fields, falls into the lower cap category, a change that nursing advocates say could make advanced pathways such as nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetist programs harder to finance.
Education Department officials argue the “professional degree” label is not a judgment on nursing’s importance and claim most nursing students would not be affected by the new borrowing limits. But national nursing organizations and a bipartisan group of lawmakers contend that excluding nursing undermines workforce development at a time of persistent shortages.
In Texas, the stakes are elevated. State workforce data project Texas will face a registered-nurse shortfall for years, with estimates pointing to a deficit of tens of thousands of RN full-time equivalents by 2036.
Health systems and nursing educators warn the loan caps could squeeze enrollment in higher-cost MSN and DNP programs, limit the pipeline of advanced-practice nurses and faculty, and raise pressure on hospitals already relying on supplemental staffing, including internationally educated nurses who have historically helped fill gaps in underserved areas.
Guest:
Jack Frazee is the Director of Government Affairs and General Counsel for the Texas Nurses Association and advocates for better laws for nurses. Since obtaining his law license in 2018, Jack has advised healthcare non-profits and elected officials on emerging policy issues and litigated a wide range of issues in state and federal courts.
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This episode will be recorded on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.
