Endangered Education: Psychiatric Professional Degrees Under Attack

COMMENTARY

There are countless pieces of new legislation being enacted at the state and federal levels that impact or could potentially impact providers, patients, and friends/family. The frequency with which these policies are changing has reached an astonishing level.

On April 30th, 2026, the United States Department of Education released the final rule of the “Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE),” which noticeably excluded post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as professional degrees for the purposes of federal student loans.¹ This decision rolled out just before the annual celebration of National Nurses Week, which makes the whole situation feel even crueler.

The Department of Education had also confirmed that yes, post-baccalaureate nursing programs meet their defined criteria for a professional degree. Yet, the final ruling denies higher student loan limits for master’s and doctoral nursing students.¹ Current and future students will be impacted by this ruling, though it is unfeasible to accurately project how many graduate students will be impacted.

By acknowledging that nursing programs meet the technical criteria for a “professional degree” but refusing to grant the corresponding financial support, the Department has created a recognition gap. This is not just a clerical oversight; it is a fundamental devaluation of the clinical complexity and graduate-level rigor required to practice in modern health care.

What Does This Mean?

The drastically lowered federal student loan amounts will be prohibitive to many pursuing higher degrees in nursing. The disparity created by the RISE rule creates an immediate funding cliff. Students pursuing a graduate nursing degree often face tuition costs comparable with those of their physician or dental colleagues, yet they are now expected to bridge a massive financial chasm with private loans that lack the protections and flexible repayment terms of federal programs. This will inevitably gatekeep the profession, ensuring that only the most affluent can afford to become the providers the country so desperately needs.

Workforce shortages in health care are currently problematic nationwide, and notably in rural and underserved areas. Nurse practitioners have been an essential part of the workforce to meet patient care needs across the country. There is an aging, experienced workforce who will be retiring in the near future, not to mention an expanding aging general population in need of care. Reduced workforce will also lead to increased strain on practicing providers, further contributing to the potential for burnout and leaving the field altogether. Other federal agencies have clearly demonstrated recognition of the nurse practitioner role as a unique profession with distinctive responsibilities that are separate from other nursing roles—hence, further underscoring the adherence to the stated definition for inclusion in professional programs.²

The potential negative impacts are likely to be further felt by women and people of color.³ In a field like mental health, where concordance, or the ability for patients to see providers who share their lived experiences, is a primary driver of successful outcomes, this ruling actively undermines health equity. We cannot hope to solve the mental health crisis if we are systematically defunding the pipeline of diverse providers.

Implications for the Field

Notably, this is not an issue unique to nurse practitioners. There are serious implications for the mental health field (not to mention broader health care systems, which impact our patient care and societal systems significantly). Social workers were excluded from the final ruling⁴; physician assistants have been similarly categorized as a non-professional degree.⁵ We do not want to speak on behalf of our colleagues in these important professions, but encourage further communication and professional advocacy efforts. This ruling reveals a dangerous misunderstanding of the health care team. By excluding NPs, PAs, and social workers from professional status, the RISE rule treats these essential parts of the American health care delivery system as optional and secondary tier rather than essential, professional, primary care workforces.

We must move beyond the “heroes” rhetoric and demand the professional infrastructure that allows us to actually do the work. We call on the Department of Education to reassess the RISE rule before the July 1st deadline. Advocacy is no longer optional; it is a clinical necessity for the survival of our profession and the safety of our patients.

Please consider further supporting efforts that are being made to address this major disservice by the Department of Education’s recent ruling. As of this publication date, there is a bipartisan effort by representatives championing the Nursing as a Professional Degree Act, which would include post-baccalaureate nursing degrees in the definition of professional degrees.

Dr Sethness is the specialty director and an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, and a practicing PMHNP at Congruent Counseling, in Maryland.

Dr Moore is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and a practicing PMHNP at Spectra Psychiatry in Baltimore, Maryland.

References

1. AACN statement on the U.S. Department of Education’s final rule abandoning nursing education as a professional degree . AACN. April 30, 2026. Accessed May 20, 2026. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/aacn-statement-on-the-us-department-of-educations-final-rule-abandoning-nursing-education-as-a-professional-degree

2. Black B. Department of Education rule will harm our nation’s health care workforce. AANP. April 30, 2026. Accessed May 20, 2026. https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/department-of-education-rule-will-harm-our-nations-health-care-workforce

3. Stone J. Trump administration limits student loans for nurses, therapists, PAs and more. Forbes. May 6, 2026. Accessed May 20, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2026/05/06/admin-redefines-professional-limiting-loans-for-rns-pt-mph-and-more/

4. Department of Education leaves out social workers in RISE final rule. National Association of Social Workers. May 1, 2026. Accessed May 20, 2026. https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Policy-Updates/ID/3403/Department-of-Education-Leaves-out-Social-Workers-in-RISE-Final-Rule

5. PAEA and AAPA to challenge final rule excluding PA students from professional degree status in court. AAPA. April 30, 2026. Accessed May 20, 2026. https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2026/04/paea-and-aapa-to-challenge-final-rule-excluding-pa-students-from-professional-degree-status-in-court/