Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Amend Trump Administration's Student Loan Caps for Nursing Degrees
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a bill to amend the Trump administration's new student loan borrowing limits, which currently exclude advanced nursing degrees from higher borrowing caps. The Department of Education's new rules, effective July 1, set a $100,000 lifetime limit for graduate students and a $200,000 limit for professional students, including those in medicine, law, and dentistry. However, nursing degrees are not included in the professional category, sparking concern among lawmakers and advocates. They argue that the exclusion could worsen the healthcare worker shortage by making nursing education less accessible. Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley and Republican Senator Roger Wicker are leading the effort to include nursing degrees in the professional degree designation, allowing for higher loan limits.