Dept of Education Rule on NPs as Professionals

On Jan. 30, the Department of Education released its proposed rule which included defining "professional students," and as expected coming out of the negotiated rulemaking process, nurse practitioner (NP) students were not included in this definition. As previously reported, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) continues to engage with Congress and the Department of Education, both as an individual association and as part of multiple coalitions on the importance of ensuring that NP students are able to access federal student loans. H.R. 1 (The One Big Beautiful Bill Act), signed into law on July 4, created new federal loan limits for graduate students ($20,500 annually, $100,000 aggregate) and professional students ($50,000 annually, $200,000 aggregate). NPs meet the criteria developed by the department for “professional degrees;” however, they were not included in the “professional students” definition at the conclusion of the Negotiated Rulemaking process. 
 
Now that the proposed rule has been released, there is an open public comment period until March 2, 2026. AANP has created an Advocacy Link for this issue that contains background information and a link to the AANP Advocacy Center where NPs, NP students, NP faculty and NP supporters can provide direct comment to the Department of Education. We encourage all members to provide comment to the department and customize your letter to explain exactly how these new loan limits will impact your practice, facility, school and community. Comment now before the comment period closes on March 2. Every NP voice must be heard!