This bill amends federal education law to officially recognize nursing degrees as professional degrees for purposes of federal student loan programs. Specifically, it adds nursing degrees (Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, and Ph.D. in Nursing) to the list of professional degrees that qualify students for certain federal loan benefits and repayment options. The bill also broadens the definition of what counts as a professional degree to include any degree meeting specific criteria approved by the Secretary of Education, not just those explicitly listed. This change affects nursing students seeking federal financial aid and could impact their eligibility for income-driven repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs previously available only to students in fields like medicine, law, pharmacy, and dentistry. The bill contains no specific funding allocations or implementation timeline beyond referral to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.