FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fairfax, VA — November 11, 2025

The Institute for Health and Social Equity Statement on the U.S. Department of Education’s Proposed Rule on Graduate Loan Access

The Institute for Health and Social Equity joins national nursing organizations in expressing concern about the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule that would limit federal student loan access for many graduate nursing students.

The proposal, released as part of the Department’s ongoing negotiated rule-making process known as the Restructuring Institutional and Student Eligibility (RISE) initiative, revisits how certain graduate and professional programs are classified for higher federal borrowing limits.As currently written, nursing programs—including those that prepare nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and future nursing faculty—would remain subject to lower graduate-loan caps than other health professions such as medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy.

If implemented, this rule could make advanced nursing education less accessible and further strain a workforce already facing national shortages in clinical and faculty roles. For students from under-resourced or rural communities, the impact could be particularly acute.

As an organization committed to expanding access and opportunity in health and education, The Institute emphasizes that investment in nursing education is an investment in the nation’s capacity to deliver safe, high-quality care.

The Institute stands in alignment with the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC), the DNPs of Color , and other professional nursing organizations n supporting continued dialogue with the Department to ensure fair treatment for all health-profession students.

Read the full commentary from Dr. Sherri Johnson, “When Access Defines Care: Why DOE’s Loan Proposal Threatens the Future of Nursing,” on Substack.

“Zip code should not determine access.”