CINCINNATI — The Trump administration is proposing new limits on graduate student loans that could significantly affect nursing and other healthcare programs, potentially worsening existing staffing shortages in hospitals across the country.
The proposal would cap graduate loan limits for programs such as nursing, physical therapy, and public health at $20,500 per year with a total limit of $100,000. Meanwhile, students in what the Education Department calls "professional programs," such as medicine, law, and dentistry, could still borrow up to $50,000 annually, with a total limit of $200,000.
Ashley Glass, Founder of Black Women Cultivating Change, is a juvenile corrections nurse and current Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student, said the proposed caps could prevent students from completing their degrees.
"One of the main reasons I even went to further my education is because of a program that's going to help assist in covering my education while in school, and so depending on where the cap falls with my bills, it could prevent me from completing my current degree," said Glass.
Glass called the proposal a slap in the face to nursing students and questioned the broader issue of education costs.
"Definitely think more thought should've went into it, and the bigger issue is why does it cost so much for us to provide care to our community anyway?" said Glass.
WATCH: Nursing advocates warn proposed student loan caps may limit access to nursing education programs
The change comes as hospitals nationwide face critical nursing shortages. Dr. Corinn Taylor, an adjunct professor and registered nurse, warned that the cap could harm patient care.
"If we are limiting the amount of advanced practice nurses to do that work, I think patient care will suffer dramatically. We all know and recognize that there is a nursing shortage," said Taylor.
Taylor also noted that nursing is a heavily female-dominated profession, and the loan limits could disproportionately affect women and underserved communities.
"If we're looking at the underserved community, and for like myself, I couldn't have achieved everything that I've achieved if I wasn't allowed to get those higher loan limits," said Taylor.
According to the Department of Education, the change is not redefining whether a program is considered professional or not. The department has sought feedback from education stakeholders and plans to hold another public discussion on the issue early next year.
Glass emphasized the value of nursing education and mentorship in preparing healthcare workers.
"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have mentors and professors to teach me the skills and everything I needed to know to be a successful nurse," said Glass. "And so when you think about them capping funding and loans for people to attain these degrees, you think about who is going to be able to give the time to pour back into this profession."
Taylor urged policymakers to consider input from healthcare workers when making these decisions.
"Because we are indeed lifesavers and all those policy makers out there listening to this, I would just encourage you when you're making decisions, convene a group of stakeholders who do the work, and maybe we can have thoughtful leadership and partnership and collaboration on how we move this forward versus blindly making these decisions and catching everybody off guard," said Taylor.
According to the Department of Education, the change is not redefining whether a program is considered professional or not. The department has sought feedback from education stakeholders and plans to hold another public discussion on the issue early next year.
"Because we are indeed lifesavers. The healthcare system will feel the impact; they're feeling the impact of it now, which is why everyone's trying to control costs, but just when you're making these decisions, recognizing that it's not going to make health care better," said Taylor.
Both Taylor and Glass encouraged students to continue their studies and not get discouraged. The new student loan caps would take effect next July if implemented.
