Action Needed: Protect Nursing’s Professional Designation

The U.S. Department of Education has opened a public comment period on a proposed rule that would remove nursing from the “professional degree” classification.

This change limits access to federal loan programs that make advanced nursing education financially possible. Fewer funding options means fewer nurse practitioners entering the workforce and reduced access to care for the communities we serve.

At a time of provider shortages and growing healthcare needs, we cannot afford policies that weaken the educational pipeline for advanced practice nurses.

The public comment period closes March 2. Submitting a comment takes less than five minutes:

1. Go to regulations.gov
2. Scroll to “Reimagining and improving student education”
3. Click “Submit a Formal Comment”
4. Share a brief statement supporting recognition of nursing as a professional degree

This is one of those moments where a small action can have meaningful impact.