Nursing is a Professional Degree - Your Voice is Needed!

Earlier this year, Congress passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included a provision creating different yearly and lifetime loan limits for graduate and professional students. The U.S. Department of Education has now released its proposed rule which defines nurse practitioner programs as graduate programs and not professional degree programs. If finalized, this could have a serious impact on the future nursing workforce.

Now is the critical moment to make your voice heard. The Department of Education is accepting public comments on the proposed rule until March 2, 2026, and it is essential that nurse practitioners, students, faculty, and NP supporters make their voices heard. We urge you to submit a comment calling on the Department to include nurse practitioner programs in the definition of a professional degree program to ensure future NPs have access to federal student loans needed to support their education. 

You can click on the following link to submit comments to the Department of Education and learn more at the AANP website: Act Now

NEW Congressional Sign-On Comment Letter: Please reach out to your Representative and Senators today requesting that they sign on to a congressional comment letter supporting the inclusion of nursing as a professional degree. Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), House Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), and House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair and nurse, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), are currently circulating a comment letter for members of Congress to sign and show their support for nursing. This comment letter is similar to the one we saw in December. We need your help! Click here to encourage your Members of Congress to sign on to this comment letter. The deadline for Members of Congress to sign on is COB Wednesday, February 25, 2026.