Washington: US President Donald Trump’s administration has made major changes to the federal student loan system, raising concerns for millions of nursing students. Law, medicine, and dentistry are among the degrees classified as “professional” by the government. However, nursing has been excluded from this list.
Under the new system, students pursuing professional degrees will be able to receive federal loans of up to $50,000 annually and a total of $200,000. However, for non-professional programs, this limit is significantly lower: $20,500 annually and a total of $100,000. Since nursing is not considered a professional degree, nursing graduates will receive a lower loan amount.
The American Nurses Association has strongly opposed this decision. The organization argues that excluding nursing from the professional list will not only limit students’ access to higher education but will also severely harm the growing demand for nurses in the healthcare sector.
The association has urged the government to immediately revise the terminology so that nursing students can access more loans as before. This change will take effect on July 1, 2026. Existing students will be able to access loans under the old rules until they complete their studies. The government claims this move is aimed at controlling education costs and protecting students from excessive debt.
