Proposed federal loan classification raises many questions for graduate nursing students
A proposed change by the U.S. Department of Education has prompted responses from national nursing organizations and university officials after the department updated its guidance in 2025 on which graduate programs qualify as “professional degree” programs for higher federal student loan limits.
The department’s Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment final regulations, published in 2023, established transparency standards requiring colleges to report program-level data on student debt and earnings. According to the Federal Register, the rule was created to address programs that leave students with “unaffordable amounts of student loan debt in relation to their earnings, or with no gain in earnings compared to others with no more than a high school education.” These 2023 regulations do not change federal aid eligibility for undergraduate majors.
The current controversy arises from a 2025 proposed rule concerning the Graduate PLUS Loan program and professional degree classifications. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the department’s proposal would place post-baccalaureate nursing students under lower federal loan limits of $20,500 annually and $100,000 aggregate lifetime. This contrasts with the $50,000 annual and $200,000 aggregate lifetime limits available to federally recognized professional degree programs, including medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry and chiropractic.
Graduate nursing programs, including Doctor of Nursing Practice, Ph.D. in Nursing and post-baccalaureate MSN programs, are not included in the department’s proposed professional degree classification.
Amanda Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., associate dean for research in Creighton’s College of Nursing, shared a National League for Nursing press release with the Creightonian, highlighting that the issue largely impacts nurses pursuing graduate degrees.
Joseph Tariman, Ph.D., associate dean of graduate nursing programs at Creighton, said in an email, “Future DNP students admitted on or after July 2026 will be affected by this new cap on student loan amounts for graduate degrees at $100,000, down from $200,000 for professional degrees. … Doctoral education takes 3–5 years to complete, meaning students will need to seek other funding sources such as scholarships, employer benefits and private loans to ensure they complete their degree before reaching their student loan cap.”
University Provost Mardell Wilson responded by email regarding the potential impact of the proposal on Creighton students.
“These federal requirements should not have a significant impact on current Creighton students given our history of very strong student outcomes and graduation and retention rates,” Wilson said in an email.
Wilson said that the university will likely not need to make any adjustments to communication about program information despite the changes.
“Creighton currently provides cost of attendance information in full transparency to our students according to federal guidelines. As far as majors and our graduation outcomes, we do not anticipate the need to make any adjustments at this time.”
Wilson also commented more broadly on federal shifts toward value and transparency measures in higher education.
“We are very proud of our students’ achievements and the contributions they are making to their disciplines and society. Our consistently strong outcomes data speaks volumes to the value of our Catholic, Jesuit education,” she said in an email. “Creighton University will continue to actively monitor federal regulations and provide information to prospective students in accordance with the standards.”
The National League for Nursing (NLN) has voiced opposition to the proposed classification. According to the NLN, excluding graduate nursing “would deny nursing students the opportunity to obtain higher graduate student loan amounts they may need to complete their education” and could negatively affect the nation’s supply of advanced practice nurses.
The NLN also criticized the department’s assertion that “95% of nursing students need less than an aggregate total of $100,000 for their tuition,” noting that the data source was unclear and may not reflect doctoral-level programs.
According to the AACN, more than 200,000 individuals have signed a petition urging the department to revise the proposed definition to include nursing. Federal lawmakers, including Rep. Jen Kiggans, have submitted letters requesting reconsideration, and the National Academy of Medicine issued a statement emphasizing the importance of graduate-prepared nurses to healthcare access and quality.
Creighton’s undergraduate programs remain unaffected by this proposal. Students in bachelor’s programs, including BSN students, continue to have full access to federal financial aid under current rules.
Adrian Martinez, a sophomore in Creighton’s College of Nursing and a Harper nursing scholar, said he is one of eight students in his cohort. He described how the proposed federal loan changes could affect his plans for graduate education.
“It’s kind of an uncertain certainty factor of how I’m going to be able to afford such high tuition rates without certain federal funding,” Martinez said.
Martinez also said that the rigor of a nursing education makes it difficult to have other sources of income, like another job, at the same time.
“During these programs, you’re not able to work because they’re at such a high level of education that you’re going to be unemployed for two years while getting this degree. So, not only are you missing out on pay, you’re gaining more debt along with the other things that you have to pay for in life,” he said.
The department is expected to publish the proposed rule and open a formal comment period in the coming weeks, providing an opportunity for universities, professional organizations and students to provide feedback before any final rule is implemented.