Nursing has been more than a profession to me—it's my calling and has defined who I am. I've dedicated my life to caring for others in their times of need, and I've witnessed firsthand the transformative impact that nursing education has on both professionals and patients.

However, recent trends threatening the integrity of nursing education are disheartening and alarming. The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a "professional degree" program as it sets to implement various measures regarding student loans laid out in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." The change will impact hundreds of thousands of students—more than 260,000 students enrolled in entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs and around 42,000 enrolled in Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), according to data collected by the American Nurses Association. Additionally, the Grad PLUS program, designed to help graduate and professional students cover educational expenses, is being eliminated, with Parent PLUS loans being capped. With a cap on graduate loans, fewer nurses will be able to afford graduate nursing education.

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare in the United States. Every day, they provide complex, life‑saving care in our hospitals, clinics, schools, long‑term care facilities, public health departments, and through telehealth in every state.

This is not a minor administrative tweak. It is a direct threat to:

Patient safety and quality of care
Nursing is a licensed, regulated, evidence‑based profession, not a simple technical trade. De‑professionalizing nursing risks weakening education and licensure standards that protect patients’ lives and outcomes in every community across the country.

Our already fragile national nursing workforce
The United States is facing serious nursing shortages—especially in rural, underserved, and safety‑net settings. Any policy that devalues nursing as a profession will make it even harder to recruit and retain qualified nurses, worsening burnout, wait times, and access to care nationwide.

Educational access and financial aid for nursing students
Professional recognition is closely tied to accreditation, program credibility, and eligibility for federal financial aid. Removing nursing from the list of professional degree programs could:

• Limit financial aid options for nursing students
• Discourage talented individuals—especially from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds—from entering nursing
• Disrupt academic pathways to advanced practice roles (Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, Clinical Nurse Specialists), as well as nurse educators, researchers, and leaders
• Public health and emergency preparedness
  Nurses are on the front lines of public health crises, pandemics, natural disasters, and behavioral health emergencies in every state. Weakening the professional status of nursing undermines our nation’s capacity to respond effectively to current and future health challenges.
  This proposal sends a harmful message that the expertise, judgment, and life‑and‑death responsibility carried by nurses are somehow less “professional” than other disciplines—at a time when our healthcare system cannot function without them.

Our Call to the United States Congress
We, the undersigned—nurses, students, healthcare professionals, patients, and concerned citizens from across the United States—urge all members of Congress to:

1. Publicly and unequivocally oppose any move to remove Nursing from the list of professional degree programs at the U.S. Department of Education.
2. Demand transparency and a full impact analysis from the Department of Education, including meaningful consultation with national and state nursing organizations, educators, students, and frontline nurses before any such changes are considered.
3. Support and, if necessary, introduce legislation or resolutions that:

• Explicitly recognize Nursing as a professional degree program
• Protect access to federal financial aid and loan programs for nursing students at all levels
• Safeguard the integrity of nursing education, accreditation, and licensure standards nationwide

 Why Your Signature Matters

Your signature tells Congress that:

• You value safe, high‑quality patient care
• You recognize nursing as a true profession, not a trade
• You want more nurses at the bedside and in communities, not fewer
• You support nursing students who rely on financial aid to enter this vital field

Nurses have always shown up for our country. Now we need our elected leaders to show up for nurses.

Add your name to demand that Nursing remain recognized and protected as a professional degree program in the United States.