WASHINGTON (TNND) — As student loan changes are rolled out by the Trump administration under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” nursing does not qualify as a program to receive certain loan program funding.

As a result, this will cause problems for nursing students when it comes to financing their education.

“In total, negotiators reviewed and agreed to 17 regulatory provisions,” according to a press release from the Department of Education.

The changes are caused by a review that includes a “new and simplified” Repayment Assistance Plan and “the definition of a professional student,” although nursing was never included on a list of professional degrees.

The Department of Education told USA Today it did not change the federal definition of “professional degree” to ax nursing, it was never on the list, said Ellen Keast, a representative for the Education Department.

A 1965 law considers the following programs as professional degrees:

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.)Changes to borrowing

Due to two graduate school loan programs being on the chopping block by the Education Department, students in programs that are not on the list above can face a risk of a lower loan cap when borrowing money for their program.

Students on the list can borrow up to $50,000 per year and up to $200,000 overall. Students in programs that are not considered “professional degrees” could face a lower cap, $20,500 per year and $1000,000 all in.

This is set to take effect in July 2026.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing responded to the diminished student loan access and said it would be “devastating,” in a statement.

“The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is deeply concerned by the Department of Education’s decision to move forward with a proposed definition of professional degree programs that excludes nursing and significantly limits student loan access,” the organization said in a statement.

Plans to eliminate programs

The Education Department said it plans to eliminate its GRAD PLUS loan, which helps graduate and professional students pay for education not covered by financial aid. On top of that, they plan to cap their PARENT PLUS loan, which is given out to parents of undergraduate students. The limits in place cap at $20,000 per year per student and a $65,000 total limit.

“Under President Trump’s OBBBA, the Department’s rulemaking will eliminate the Grad PLUS program, which has fueled unsustainable student loan borrowing,” the Education Department said in a news release.