"Arecent change to a House bill that funds the Education Department could allow master’s- and doctoral-level nursing programs access to higher levels of federal student borrowing," Inside Higher Ed reports.

..."In the meantime, Jill Desjean, director of policy analysis at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said she is thinking through what any of the changes to the loan limits would mean practically for advisers and students. She anticipates any potential change will occur after July 1. Even if Congress passes legislation that’s signed into law or a court order comes down before then, she said, it will take time to adjust.

For example, the Education Department would have to make software changes before colleges could start doling out aid. So while an increase in loan limits is better than a decrease, Desjean stressed that the change should be made comprehensively rather than in bits and pieces.

“[Nursing] is just one of the many groups that asked to be treated as professional students,” she said. “NASFAA hasn’t taken a position on specifically which programs should be eligible for the $50,000 cap, but however they decide to do it, I really don’t want to see it changing every couple of months or every couple of days. We just need to have a static list of rules that says, ‘This is who qualifies’ and have it be done.”

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 6/12/2026