In 2025, sweeping federal legislation was passed that restructured student loan programs and redefined what qualifies as a professional degree under federal financial aid policy. As part of the Department of Education’s implementation of this law, nursing was removed from the list of professional degree programs. While fields such as medicine, law, dentistry, and pharmacy retained their professional designation, nursing and several other care centered disciplines were excluded. This reclassification is scheduled to take effect in July 2026 and will significantly alter how nursing students are able to finance their education.

The consequences of this decision are substantial. Graduate students in programs classified as professional are permitted to borrow significantly more in federal loans than those in non professional programs. With the elimination of Grad PLUS loans and stricter borrowing caps, nursing students pursuing advanced degrees will face increased financial barriers. For many students, particularly those from working class backgrounds or historically marginalized communities, these limits may determine whether continuing their education is even possible. What makes this decision especially troubling is the contradiction it exposes. Nursing is undeniably a profession. It requires rigorous academic training, extensive clinical hours, licensure exams, and ongoing certification. Nurses are often the primary point of contact for patients, serving as advocates, educators, and caregivers within an increasingly strained healthcare system. To remove nursing’s professional status is not only a financial blow, but a symbolic one. It reflects a broader pattern of undervaluing care work, particularly work that has historically been feminized and racialized.

As a freshman Nursing Major at Howard University, this policy shift feels deeply personal. My passion for medicine has not disappeared, but it is now accompanied by uncertainty and frustration. The path I chose with confidence is suddenly framed as less valid by those in power. This moment forces me to reckon with how political decisions shape educational access and whose labor is deemed worthy of investment. Still, my commitment to nursing remains. If anything, this challenge has clarified the importance of advocating for the profession and for the communities nurses serve. Nursing has always been essential, and no policy decision can erase its impact. The question now is whether this generation of students will be supported or discouraged from answering the call to care.