Courtney Statement on Trump Admin Finalized Rule Classifying Nursing as Non-Professional, Capping Student Loans
NORWICH, CT – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), released the following statement after the Department of Education finalized a rule which institutes new caps in the amount of federal student loans available for students pursuing several different graduate degrees, including advanced practice nursing degrees. The rule, which is a result of cuts in the Big Ugly Bill (H.R. 1), excludes advanced practice nursing, physician assistants, social workers, physical therapists, and others from the “professional” graduate-level student loan limits, cutting the available federal student loans to these students in half compared to so-called “professional” degrees. The rule is now set to take effect on July 1st, 2026.
“The Department of Education’s final rule is among the most out of touch and insulting public policies yet. In the midst of a nursing crisis, capping support for graduate student borrowing will prevent students from entering the caring workforce that we all rely on,” Courtney said. “The timing of these astronomical changes to student loans being finalized on May 1st, college decision day, will make an already confusing landscape of college affordability worse for incoming students.
“Health care professionals have been telling Washington that these cuts are putting our entire health care system at risk,” Courtney continued. “Congress must reverse this rule and all of the cuts to health care made by the Big Ugly Bill.”
Since the Department of Education announced its plan to exclude nursing and other degree programs from “professional” graduate-level student loan borrowing caps, Courtney has slammed the rule, calling it a “disgraceful insult” to the caring profession and sounding the alarm on its impact to nursing in particular. In March, during the comment period for the rule, Courtney led the Connecticut delegation in demanding a reversal of the student loan cuts.
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