Merkley, Wicker Launch Bipartisan Effort to Overturn New Limits on Student Loans for Nurses

Merkley, Wicker Launch Bipartisan Effort to Overturn New Limits on Student Loans for Nurses May 19, 2026 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced a new bill in response to a decision by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that fails to classify post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as “professional degrees,” imposing stricter limits on federal student loans for nurses. The bipartisan Nursing is a Professional Degree Act provides a simple fix and guarantees nursing students pursuing post-baccalaureate nursing programs can access affordable student loans. More specifically, this bill classifies post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as “professional degrees,” which would entitle nurses taking out federal student loans to a cap of $50,000 annually and $200,000 in the aggregate. The most recent rule from ED subjects nurses pursuing post-baccalaureate degrees to federal loan caps of $20,500 annually and $100,000 in the aggregate, which pushes them towards higher-interest private loans to complete their education. “ Nurses save lives, one bedside at a time. We should be doing everything we can to make it easier to recruit the next generation of these heroes, not make it harder,” said Merkley. “Republicans and Democrats alike have sounded the alarm over changes that make student loans for nurses more expensive, which threaten the future of the nursing workforce. Our simple and straightforward bill corrects this wrong, ensuring nursing students can continue to access the support they need to achieve their dreams and save lives.” “It is imperative that Congress address the nursing shortage across the United States. This legislation would make nursing a more achievable profession by expanding the loan limits for nursing students. Classifying post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as professional degrees would give these students more financial freedom after graduation,” said Wicker. As leaders of the Senate Nursing Caucus, Merkley and Wicker have led bipartisan efforts to oppose changes to federal student loans for nurses, support the more than 5 million registered nurses nationwide, and address the challenges facing the nursing workforce. Merkley and Wicker’s Nursing is a Professional Degree Act is supported by 250 organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), American Nurses Association, American College of Nurse-Midwives, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and National League for Nursing. A full list of supporting organizations can be found by clicking here . “On behalf of America’s nurse educators and nursing students, I applaud Senator Merkley for leading this bipartisan effort to advance a congressional solution to recognize post-baccalaureate nursing programs as professional degrees,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, President and Chief Executive Officer for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. “Maintaining access to critical healthcare services rests on having a robust supply of nurses prepared to serve as advanced practice nurses, faculty, researchers, and in other expert roles. Passing this legislation will help schools of nursing meet this need and mitigate the shortage of both clinicians and the faculty who teach them.” “It’s ironic that we find ourselves here just after 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 Senators Merkley and Wicker 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.” “On behalf of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), we thank Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chairs Senators Merkley and Wicker for their introduction of the Nursing is a Professional Degree Act , which would include post-baccalaureate nursing as a professional degree for federal student loans,” said AANP President Valerie Fuller, PhD, DNP. “The Department of Education’s decision to exclude post-baccalaureate nursing programs will make it harder for future students to become nurse practitioners (NPs), which will ultimately reduce patient access to care in communities across the nation. On behalf of the over 461,000 NPs nationwide, we urge Congress to pass