National nursing organizations sue U.S. Department of Education over advanced-nursing loan rule

On May 29, 2026, eleven national nursing organizations — including the American Nurses Association, AWHONN, the American College of Nurse Midwives, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, and Chi Eta Phi Sorority — jointly filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education's exclusion of advanced nursing degrees from the definition of "professional degree" programs in the final federal student loan rule. The organizations argue the rule unfairly subjects post-baccalaureate nurses (MSN, DNP, DNAP, PhD) to lower borrowing limits than other professional fields, creating new financial barriers at a time of severe workforce shortages. ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy said the Department "ignored the voices of nurses and nurse allies who spoke out against this rule" during the public-comment process.