Nursing degrees now qualify for federal student loan relief programs
S. 4568 — Nursing is a Professional Degree Act · Filed by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced May 19, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Higher Education Act to formally recognize nursing degrees (Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Ph.D. in Nursing) as professional degrees for purposes of federal student loan programs. Currently, nursing is not listed among professional degrees, which affects loan eligibility, repayment options, and income-driven repayment calculations for nursing students. The bill adds nursing to an explicit statutory list of professional degrees alongside medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, and others.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to reclassify nursing degrees within the federal student loan regulatory framework, moving them from an undefined or lower-tier category into the explicit professional-degree category. This is a narrow, technical amendment with direct financial consequences for a specific borrower population.
What the text implies
- Nursing students may become eligible for income-contingent repayment (ICR) and income-sensitive repayment (ISR) plans, which can extend repayment to 25 years and may result in loan forgiveness after that period—a significant benefit not previously available.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) calculations may change for nurses employed by government or nonprofit healthcare systems, as the professional-degree classification affects how payments are counted toward the 120-payment threshold.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
nursing students and graduates with federal student loans; nurses employed in public service (government/nonprofit healthcare) seeking PSLF