Warning: Federal Student Loan Proposal Threatens Healthcare Workforce and Patient Care

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association is urging the U.S. Department of Education to nix a proposal that would severely limit graduate nursing students to smaller 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 its course.

Reich himself is a nurse. He worked at patient bedsides for more than a decade before leaving to work for PSNA.

Feds say graduate nursing degrees are not professional

At issue, he said, are new rules that exclude graduate nursing education under 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 and workforce stability.

The exclusion would make it harder, even impossible, for nurses to pursue advanced degrees. Such an outcome would be devastating for patients, hospitals, and communities already experiencing workforce shortages.

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 a year or $100,000 a lifetime, compared to $50,000 a year/$200,000 lifetime for other professions. Graduate nursing education already costs more than $30,000 a year on average, exceeding the proposed loan 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 protected]
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