Kiggans and Merkley Continue to Support our Nursing Workforce in Light of the Recent Department of Education RISE Committee Final Rule

Kiggans and Merkley Continue to Support our Nursing Workforce in Light of the Recent Department of Education RISE Committee Final Rule May 01, 2026 | Uncategorized WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) expressed concern following the Department of Education’s release of its final rule defining which healthcare professions qualify as “professional degrees.” The rule, set to take effect on July 1, 2026, excludes post-baccalaureate nursing programs from this designation. As a result, individuals pursuing post-baccalaureate nursing degrees will face lower federal borrowing limits for student loans, creating additional barriers to entering the profession. The final rule comes after more than six months of sustained, bipartisan, and bicameral advocacy led by Rep. Kiggans and Sen. Merkley, who repeatedly raised concerns about the exclusion of post-baccalaureate nursing programs. Rep. Kiggans and Sen. Merkley remain committed to working together to introduce legislation that addresses this issue and ensure post-baccalaureate nursing degrees are included on the list of designated professional degrees. Congresswoman Kiggans said, “The RISE Committee’s final rule to exclude advanced practice nurses from its definition of professional degrees is incredibly frustrating and disenfranchises these men and women that are on the front lines of healthcare every day. As a Nurse Practitioner, I know the value and impact advanced practice nurses bring to our communities’ health and wellbeing. As our nation continues to grapple with a healthcare workforce shortage, this decision will increase-out-pocket costs and create an inequitable financial structure compared to other clinical programs. This disincentivizes talented young students from entering the field at a time when we need them most.” “As the Representative of Virginia’s Second Congressional District, it is my responsibility to help grow our healthcare workforce and expand access to quality care across Coastal Virginia. I am proud to continue this work with Senator Merkley to get nurses onto the Professional Degree list,” she concluded . “America is facing a dire shortage of health care workers, but the Trump Administration would rather stick its head in the sand than support nurses being able to afford post-baccalaureate programs,” said Merkley . “Our simple, bipartisan fix ensures that nurses are able to access the loans they need to earn their professional degrees.” “Recognizing nursing as a professional degree is essential to sustaining pathways to advanced nursing education and, ultimately, safeguarding the nation’s health,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing . “The academic nursing community applauds our Congressional champions for working on a legislative response that will strengthen the capacity of nursing schools in every state to educate the next generation of advanced practice nurses, researchers, scientists, faculty, and healthcare leaders.” “Patients across the country rely on nurse practitioners (NPs) for access to care, from rural communities to major metropolitan areas. The Department of Education’s decision to exclude NPs and other post-baccalaureate nursing programs from the definition of a professional degree for federal student loans will make it harder for future NPs to pursue their education, ultimately worsening the nursing and primary care shortages facing our nation,” said American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) President Valerie Fuller, PhD, DNP . “On behalf of AANP and the more than 461,000 NPs nationwide, we commend Representative Kiggans and Senator Merkley for their leadership and continued support of the nursing profession. We look forward to the introduction of their legislation and urge all Members of Congress to support the passage of this legislation to send it to the President for his signature.” “It’s ironic that we find ourselves here just one week before National Nurses Week, a time when we are meant to celebrate and honor the very people who keep our health system running. And yet, this Department of Education has chosen to make it harder for nurses to advance their education and their careers,” said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, President of the American Nurses Association. “I want to thank Senator Merkley and Representative Kiggans for their commitment to writing legislation that will fix this easily avoidable disaster for the nursing profession and patients.  Make no mistake, this is not a technicality or a footnote. This rule will be felt in real communities, for example, in rural areas where nurse practitioners, midwives, and nurse anesthesiologists are often the only providers of core care services.” “The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners applauds Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Kiggans for their leadership in introducing legislation to correct the Department of Education’s student loan rule,” National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) president Dr. Felesia Bowen said . “This misguided decision has significant implications that impact an already strained health care workforce. Most importantly, it creates additional financial barriers for nurses pursuing advanced education at a time when access to care for children and families depends on a strong, well-prepared workforce. NAPNAP looks forward to working with Congresswoman Kiggans, Senator Merkley, and other members of Congress to ensure that students are able to pursue careers in advanced pediatric nursing practice.” “Boards of nursing are charged with protecting the public which includes ensuring patients and students have access to safe nursing care and quality nursing education,” said Phyllis Polk Johnson, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FNAP, NCSBN Board of Directors President . “By restricting access to federal student loan support for advanced nursing education, the Department’s policy is misaligned with that mandate. We thank Representative Kiggans and Senator Merkley for their leadership and urge Congress to act promptly to correct this misalignment and ensure federal student loan programs fully support the advanced nursing clinicians and nurse faculty essential to meeting the nation’s health care needs.” “On behalf of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), we thank Representatives Kiggans and Senator Merkley for leading the efforts on legislation to fix the Department of Education’s misguided and harmful student loan caps on advanced nursing education. The Department’s refusal to classify Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and other APRN degrees as professional, despite meeting the necessary criteria, will significantly disrupt the workforce pipeline by putting graduate education out of reach for many qualified nurses, worsening provider shortages nationwide.” said AANA President Jeff Molter, MSN, MBA, CRNA . “The impact will be felt most in rural and underserved communities where CRNAs are often the primary anesthesia providers. This legislation is a critical step to protect patients’ access to safe, timely care, and we look forward to working with these champions to ensure its passage.” In the next few weeks, Rep. Kiggans and Sen. Merkley plan to introduce a bipartisan and bicameral piece of legislation that would officially add post-baccalaureate nurses to the professional degree definition. Full-time professional students that are receiving degrees under the Professional Degree list may borrow up to $50,000 annually with a $200,000 limit. Adding advanced practice nurses to the definition will increase the amount of federal student loans they can receive. Background In November 2025, Rep. Kiggans sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urging the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee to reverse its decision to exclude post-baccalaureate nursing degrees from the definition of a “professional degree.” Read her press release here . In December 2025, Rep. Kiggans sent a second letter to the Department of Education, alongside a bipartisan and bicameral coalition of elected officials, urging a reversal of the RISE Committee’s decision Read the letter here . In March 2026, Rep. Kiggans, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), sent a letter to Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent. This was the third letter Rep. Kiggans sent to the Department of Education regarding the exclusion of post-baccalaureate nursing degrees from the definition of a “professional degree.” Read her press release here .