Author: Annika Bilog PhDc, RN, PCCN

When I began my PhD in Nursing in 2020, one of the most surprising realizations was how young the nursing profession is. Although nursing feels deeply established in healthcare, its academic identity is still developing. I remember debating in class whether nursing has even reached the point of being considered a full “profession,” and one of the biggest arguments against this was our lack of standardization. There are still multiple, inconsistent ways to become a Registered Nurse: diploma, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, and even direct-entry master’s programs.

This historical lack of uniformity has resurfaced in today’s viral controversy:

“Nursing is no longer considered a professional degree,” as USA Today published.

But this statement leaves out a key truth:

This is not new.

Nursing—specifically MSN and DNP programs—was never classified as a professional degree by the U.S. Department of Education.

The discussion centers on graduates of MSN and DNP programs: nurse practitioners, nurse educators, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, nurse leaders, and nurse anesthetists. These programs were never included alongside medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, law, optometry, or other specified “professional degree” fields.

When the Higher Education Act passed in 1965, nursing education—especially graduate education—barely existed in its modern form. In 1965 and 2007, the Department of Education iterated that “first-professional degrees” required approximately six years of postsecondary education. MSN and DNP programs, typically two to four years long, do not meet that standard.

So no, nursing was not removed from the “professional degree” list.

It was never added.

The issue is urgent now because of proposed federal student loan changes set to take effect July 1, 2026. Students in officially recognized “professional degree” programs will be able to borrow up to $50,000 per year and up to $200,000 total. Students in all other graduate programs—including MSN and DNP students—will be limited to $20,500 per year and $100,000 total.

With many MSN and DNP programs costing far more than that, nursing students could find graduate education financially inaccessible. This isn’t just about degrees; it affects the entire healthcare system. Advanced practice nurses fill primary care gaps, particularly in rural and underserved communities. If fewer nurses can afford graduate school, provider shortages will worsen.

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, ANA president, summarized the threat clearly:

“At a time when health care faces a historic nurse shortage and rising demands, limiting nurses’ access to funding for graduate education threatens the very foundation of patient care.”

To understand why nursing was never included in the Department of Education’s definition, we need to understand how new the profession’s advanced degrees really are. Nursing’s evolution happened after federal categories were already established.

Nurse-midwifery followed a similar trajectory: early programs existed by the 1930s, a master’s degree option emerged at Yale in 1956, and doctoral-level midwifery education is only now gaining traction.

In other words, when the federal criteria for “professional degrees” were defined in 1965, nearly all of nursing’s advanced degrees were either nonexistent or in their infancy. Those federal definitions never changed to reflect nursing’s rapid evolution.

For decades, the gap between nursing’s educational reality and federal classifications didn’t matter much. But with the Department of Education restructuring loan regulations—and tying them to official “professional degree” status—those outdated definitions have suddenly become consequential.

And this is where the timelines converge:

For the first time in nearly seven decades, nursing is positioned to advocate thoughtfully and credibly for inclusion in the definition of “professional degree.” This is not about reclaiming a lost status; we were never included. This is about recognizing that both nursing and healthcare have changed so dramatically that the decades-old criteria no longer reflect today’s reality.

Advanced Practice RN education now spans multiple years, requires licensure, demands advanced clinical training, and fills essential roles traditionally associated with other professional degrees. Nursing has evolved; the federal definitions have not.

The Department of Education’s timeline and nursing’s timeline have finally intersected. As regulations change in 2026, nursing has an unprecedented opportunity to make its case based on decades of evidence, outcomes, and professional growth.

This moment is bigger than loan limits. It is about the identity of nursing, the legitimacy of advanced practice, and the sustainability of the healthcare system.

No decision has actually been finalized by the Department of Education. The list of "professional degrees" is still being discussed. Once finalized, then it will take effect in July 2026.

If nursing is ever to be recognized as a “professional degree,” 2026 may be the first year in our history to finally make that argument.

American Nurses Association. (2025). ANA statement on graduate nursing education funding. Nursing World. https://www.nursingworld.org

National Women’s History Museum. (n.d.). The evolution of nursing. https://www.womenshistory.org

Newsweek. (2025). Nursing is no longer counted as a “professional degree” by Trump admin. https://www.newsweek.com

Tobbell, D. (2025). The transformation of American nursing. Penn Nursing. https://www.nursing.upenn.edu

U.S. Department of Education. (2025). Negotiated rulemaking – RISE, AM session final. https://www.ed.gov