Over 100 lawmakers sign letter urging Dept. of Education to classify nursing programs as ‘professional degrees’

More than 100 members of Congress signed a letter submitted Dec. 12 to the Department of Education on concerns about the department's proposal to omit post-baccalaureate nursing degrees from the regulatory definition of "professional degree" as part of a student loan rule. The proposal would classify nursing programs as "graduate degrees" and cap nursing student borrowing at $100,000 total, rather than $200,000 as allowed under professional programs. "At a time when our nation is facing a health care shortage, especially in primary care, now is not the time to cut off the student pipeline to these programs," the lawmakers wrote.