Fil-Am nurses oppose removing nursing from ‘professional degree’ list   

WASHINGTON – Filipino American nurses are speaking out against a plan to remove nursing from the US Department of Education’s list of “professional” degrees, which could limit access to student loans for graduate healthcare programs.

In a statement released Monday, the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) said the plan “poses a direct threat to the nursing workforce pipeline and jeopardizes equitable access to advanced education for thousands of Filipino American nurses across the United States.”

The proposal is part of a revamp under President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Congress. Students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy, public health and other healthcare fields will face tighter loan limits under the plan.

You may like: Nurses raise alarm as nursing is removed from ‘professional degree’ list

The restrictions stem from the plan not considering these programs “professional” degrees, which affects student loan eligibility and amounts.

“Restricting federal loan access will disproportionately harm first-generation, immigrant, and minority nurses,” PNAA said. “Filipino American nurses – many of whom pursue graduate education to expand their practice, contribute to academia or move into leadership roles – would face heightened financial barriers as a result of this policy.”

While graduate students could previously borrow loans up to the cost of their degree, the new rules would set caps depending on whether the degree is considered a graduate or professional program.

The Education Department is defining the following fields as professional programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.

Left out are nursing, physical therapy, dental hygiene, occupational therapy and social work as well as fields outside of health care such as architecture, education and accounting.

“Nursing is—and must remain—recognized as a professional discipline,” PNAA said. “The proposed federal definition (of professional degrees) disregards the specialized training, critical thinking, and clinical competencies required to deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centered care.”

PNAA said the plan also threatens the development of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), nurse educators, clinical leaders and researchers – roles essential to addressing workforce shortages, improving health equity and ensuring access to care in underserved areas.

PNAA has called on the Department of Education to:

• Revise the proposed definition of “professional degree” to explicitly include nursing, consistent with national accreditation and licensure standards.

• Engage meaningfully with nursing organizations – including ethnic minority nurse associations – to ensure equitable and informed rulemaking.

• Promote, rather than restrict, pathways to graduate nursing education, which are essential to sustaining a competent and diverse healthcare workforce.

PNAA is inviting the public to stand with nurses by signing this petition asking the Department of Education to include nursing in its proposed “professional degree” program definition.

The association is also asking nurses to share their story here to help illustrate the impact of restricting graduate nursing loans.

(With AP report)

The post Fil-Am nurses oppose removing nursing from ‘professional degree’ list    appeared first on USNewsRank.