Nearly half of Americans live with at least one chronic condition. For these individuals, access to consistent, high-quality healthcare is not optional, it is essential to maintaining stability, preventing complications, and staying active in their families, workplaces, and communities.
APRNs Are Essential to Chronic Care
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. They are graduate-educated, licensed clinicians who diagnose, treat, prescribe, and manage complex health conditions.
In many states, APRNs practice with full authority and serve as primary care providers. In rural and underserved communities, they are often the only consistent source of care. Without access to these professionals, patients may face long travel distances, extended wait times, or difficult decisions about relocating to maintain access to basic healthcare services. For individuals managing chronic diseases, disruptions in care can have serious consequences. Ongoing monitoring, medication management, and coordinated treatment are critical.
A Proposed Change to How APRN Programs Are Categorized
The U.S. Department of Education is considering how advanced practice nursing degrees are categorized under federal graduate student loan policy. At issue is whether APRN programs are recognized as “professional degree” programs—an important distinction that affects student loan limits and, ultimately, who can afford to pursue these careers.
Excluding nursing from the definition of “professional degree” is the wrong direction at a time when the nation faces well-documented workforce shortages. For patients with chronic diseases, workforce constraints translate directly into longer wait times, fragmented treatment, and avoidable health deterioration.
Graduate nursing education prepares clinicians for independent, licensed practice within a defined scope established by state law. Treating these programs differently from other health professional degrees risks discouraging talented students from entering advanced practice nursing, particularly those from modest financial backgrounds. That outcome would undermine broader federal and state efforts to expand primary care capacity and improve health equity.
Submit a Public Comment by March 2
Submit a public comment today and let the U.S Department of Education know that APRN programs should continue to be recognized as professional degree programs. Tell them that APRN programs ensure we have highly trained professionals delivering high-quality primary and chronic disease care and protect access to care for communities across the country.