Charleston, South Carolina. – Nursing leaders are concerned about a proposed government loan plan, which they say could make nursing programs more expensive and exacerbate the nation’s already urgent nurse shortage.
The proposal, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would limit how much students can borrow for education beginning July 1, 2026. Professional degree programs, such as law and medicine, would have a federal loan ceiling of $50,000 per year and $200,000 over a career.
Under this approach, nursing programs are not considered professional degrees. That implies nursing students would be subject to lower federal loan limits of $20,500 per year and $100,000 lifetime.
Advocates fear that this might create significant financial barriers. Many graduate nursing schools cost around $100,000 in total, so students would most likely need private loans to fund the difference or risk dropping out.
Teshieka Pugh, executive director of the South Carolina Nurse Association, believes the idea could reduce the future nursing workforce.
“We have nurses, nurse practitioners, certified midwives, and clinical nurse specialists who run their own practices and make critical clinical decisions every day,” according to Pugh. “We need to ensure there’s space and opportunity for these professionals to continue their work.”
