The Department of Education is proposing a redefinition of which healthcare careers count as “professional degrees.” Under this change, critical roles such as Registered Nurses (RNs), Physician Assistants (PAs), and other allied health professionals would no longer be classified as “professional,” drastically limiting students’ access to federal loan funding. Currently, professional students can borrow up to $200,000 in federal loans, but the new rules would restrict this to only 11 degree programs, leaving many healthcare students without sufficient financial support. These loan caps threaten to push students into high-risk private loans, reduce enrollment in essential healthcare programs, and worsen staffing shortages in hospitals and clinics nationwide.
Sign this petition to protect fair access to education funding for healthcare students and ensure our communities continue to have the care they need.
Once collected, these signatures will be delivered to the Department of Education and members of Congress to show public support for including all healthcare degrees as professional programs.