Rep. Kiggans Urges Department of Education to Roll Back Restrictions on Student Loans for Advanced Nursing Degrees 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda E. McMahon and Under Secretary Nicholas Kent to re-evaluate the Department’s definition of “professional degree” to include post-baccalaureate nursing degrees in the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee negotiated rulemaking process.  

Rep. Kiggans said, “As one of only two nurse practitioners in Congress and as someone who has led on nursing issues throughout my entire political career, I find it personally and professionally difficult to understand why the Department of Education is excluding nurses from being able to obtain the student loan funds they need to get an advanced nursing degree. 

“The nursing shortage is a reality that no one disputes and not enough Americans are going into the field as it is. I have heard from countless members of the nursing community who believe that putting up barriers to education will dissuade students from pursuing nursing careers. The fact is that advanced nursing degrees are expensive, take years to complete, and require rigorous examinations and continued education for license renewal. There is no reason that nurses should not be treated with the same level of seriousness as other healthcare disciplines, especially when so much of our healthcare system relies on them,” Rep. Kiggans continued.   

She concluded, “I understand the need to lower the cost of attending college, but risking the careers of healthcare workers isn’t the right solution. This nursing shortage is real and unless we do something to address it, the strain on our healthcare system could be insurmountable.” 

Read the letter here. 

Background: With the nursing shortage set to intensify, this is the worst time to put up barriers. The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) workforce, including Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists is projected to grow by 38% by 2032. 

Currently a professional degree under RISE can be awarded to: 

(i) Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.), Law (L.L.B. or J.D.), Medicine (M.D.), Optometry (O.D.), Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), Theology (M.Div. or M.H.L.), and Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)