Warning: Federal Student Loan Proposal Threatens Healthcare Workforce and Patient Care
HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 3, 2025 — The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association is urging the U.S. Department of Education to reject a proposal that would severely limit graduate nursing students to smaller federal loans than other professionals.
PSNA CEO Wayne Reich said Pennsylvania nurses join nurses across the nation in speaking out. More than 200,000 people have signed a national petition urging the Department of Education to reverse the proposal. Reich, who worked at patient bedsides for more than a decade before joining PSNA, emphasized the stakes for patients and the health workforce.
Feds say graduate nursing degrees are not professional
The proposed rules would exclude graduate nursing education from the category of professional degree programs. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) would face drastic caps on federal loan funding despite their essential roles in the nation’s health system and workforce stability.
If enacted, the exclusion would make it harder — even impossible in some cases — for nurses to pursue advanced degrees. Such an outcome would worsen provider shortages and harm patients, hospitals, and communities already experiencing workforce strain. According to Reich, advanced practice nurses at risk include nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, and nursing faculty.
Cost of graduate nursing education exceeds the loan limits
The proposed rule would cap federal borrowing for graduate nursing degrees at $20,500 per year or $100,000 lifetime, compared with $50,000 per year and $200,000 lifetime for other professions. Graduate nursing education already costs more than $30,000 a year on average, exceeding these proposed limits.
“The restrictions would increase provider shortages, undermine patient access, deepen the nursing faculty shortage, and contradict federal investments intended to expand the advanced practice nursing workforce,” said Reich.
The Department of Education is expected to open an official public comment period in the coming weeks. Reich urges everyone affected by nursing care to participate and voice their concerns at https://rnaction.org or https://psna.org.
Media Contact
Stephanie Maurer
Director of Communications
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 717-798-8170
PSNA is the professional membership organization for registered and licensed practical nurses in Pennsylvania. Its mission is to improve the lives and careers of nurses in Pennsylvania through advocacy, professional development, and connection.
Source: Pennsylvania State Nurses Association