Could Nursing’s ‘Non-Professional’ Degree Actually Lower Tuition Costs? Some Nurses Say So

The Department of Education’s decision to exclude graduate nursing programs from the new “professional degree” classification has generated significant frustration among many nurses. Our article, Nursing Excluded as “Professional” Degree By Department of Education, has reached a wide audience of tens of millions and prompted extensive discussion across our social platforms. It’s important to note that these changes are scheduled to take effect in July 2026.

Amid the backlash, another group of nurses on social media has raised a different perspective: the policy change — while controversial — might eventually put pressure on schools to reconsider tuition levels. 

In a field where advanced degrees already feel financially challenging, this view has sparked debate. The goal here is to examine that argument, what it could mean for nurses, and where its limitations may be.

Why Most Nurses Oppose The Change

Before looking at the counterargument, it helps to understand why many nurses are raising concerns about the new classification.

• It may limit access to affordable federal loans. Graduate nursing students could face new financial barriers, especially those without family wealth or strong employer support. Changes include lower annual borrowing limits, a reduced lifetime cap, and the phase-out of Grad PLUS loans for new borrowers.
• It may send a discouraging signal about the profession. Excluding nursing while including professions such as medicine, dentistry, law, and theology is being interpreted by some nurses as out of step with nursing’s central role in patient care and the healthcare system.
• It could affect the APRN pipeline. Reduced loan access may:
  • Decrease the number of future NPs and DNPs
  • Exacerbate provider shortages in rural and underserved communities
  • Limit career mobility for bedside nurses

These concerns are showing up frequently in comments, posts, and discussions across social media.

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Another View: “Maybe This Will Finally Pressure Schools to Lower Tuition”

A smaller but vocal group of nurses — particularly those frustrated by rising tuition — see a potential longer-term effect.

• Many nurses report that tuition for NP and DNP programs has become increasingly high, citing:
  • NP programs costing $60K–$120K
  • DNP programs costing even more
  • Limited support for clinical placement despite higher fees
• Some nurses worry that generous loan limits may have made it easier for tuition to climb. They often reference, explicitly or implicitly, the Bennett Hypothesis, an economic idea suggesting that when federal student loan limits increase, colleges may respond by raising tuition.
• From this perspective, reducing loan access could:
  • Encourage schools to be more competitive on price
  • Slow the pace of tuition increases
  • Prompt programs to better justify their costs
• These nurses are not expressing approval of nursing’s exclusion as a profession; rather, they are reacting to long-standing concerns about affordability and transparency in graduate nursing education.

Limits of the Counterargument

Even some nurses who understand this line of thinking have questions about how it would play out in practice.

• Tuition changes, if they occur, may take time, while loan limitations could affect students almost immediately. This timing mismatch could create short- and medium-term hardship.
• Under financial pressure, schools might seek savings in ways that worry nurses, such as:
  • Reducing simulation and lab resources
  • Limiting faculty positions
  • Offering less support for clinical placements
  • Scaling back mentorship and advising
• There is concern that nurses from lower-income or underrepresented backgrounds could be disproportionately affected, potentially widening existing gaps in access to advanced education.
• Healthcare systems are already facing provider shortages. Any policy that makes nursing education harder to afford could, in the view of many nurses and employers, worsen access to care, particularly in underserved areas.

Nursing Education Costs and Needed Reforms

Despite differing views on this specific policy, there is broad agreement among nurses that graduate nursing education is too expensive and in need of meaningful reform. Nurses frequently point to the need for:

• More reasonable and predictable tuition
• Clear, transparent fees and program costs
• Stronger support for clinical placements
• Federal loan policies that reflect nursing’s critical contribution to patient care

Whether this particular policy change will meaningfully address those deeper issues remains uncertain. Many nurses are concerned it could introduce new financial barriers without guaranteeing lower tuition.

What’s Ahead

The current debate reflects more than a technical change in loan rules; it highlights how strongly nurses value respect for the profession, transparency in education costs, and equitable access to advanced practice roles. While a minority see potential long-term pressure on schools to adjust tuition, many nurses are focused on the immediate risks to affordability and the advanced practice pipeline once the changes take effect on July 1, 2026.

For now, nurses, students, and nursing organizations are watching closely, speaking out, and calling for solutions that expand — rather than restrict — pathways to advanced education and the future nursing workforce.

🤔 Nurses: what do you think? Let us know in the discussion forum below.