Message from the President: Position Statement DOE Decision 2025

Minnesota APRN Coalition
Position Statement: Recognition of Nursing and APRN Education as Professional Degrees
From the President of the Minnesota APRN Coalition
11/22/2025

On behalf of the members of the Minnesota APRN Coalition — representing all four advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) roles in Minnesota — I issue this statement in strong opposition to the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Education to exclude nursing and APRN programs from its definition of “professional degree” programs.

Background
The Department’s negotiated rulemaking process for the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee has adopted a definition of “professional degree” that places nursing and advanced nursing programs outside of that category. AANP+2AACN+2 Major nursing organizations — including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) — have clearly expressed their alarm that this decision will severely restrict access to federal student loan programs and undermine the future of the workforce. ANA+2AACN+2

Why This Matters to APRNs and Nursing in Minnesota

1. Advanced practice nursing is a professional discipline. APRNs (nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists) have master’s or doctoral-level education, are licensed, and deliver direct patient care, often as primary care providers in rural or underserved communities. Excluding nursing from the “professional degree” definition contradicts the real-world practice of APRNs and undermines recognition of nursing as a profession.
2. Workforce access and patient care consequences. By limiting loan eligibility and student loan caps for graduate nursing programs, this rule change threatens to discourage prospective APRNs and other advanced nursing students — at a time when Minnesota and the nation are experiencing critical shortages of primary care and specialty providers. Nurse.org Fewer APRNs mean reduced access to care for vulnerable populations, rural communities, and under-resourced settings. Fewer nursing faculty with advance degrees means no faculty to teach the RN workforce, leading to decreased number of RNs in the face of a looming shortage.
3. Educational equity and professional parity. The rule treats nursing differently than other allied health and health professions (e.g., medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law) and sends a message that nursing is not on equal footing. This undermines decades of effort to professionalize nursing education and to ensure nursing leadership, autonomy, and advanced practice education are valued.
4. Impact on Minnesota’s APRN pipeline. In Minnesota, APRNs play vital roles across primary care, acute care, pediatrics, community health, and underserved settings. A reduction in access to education pathways threatens our state’s ability to sustain and grow an APRN and RN workforce that meets the health care needs of all Minnesotans.

Position of the Minnesota APRN Coalition

• We firmly assert that nursing, including advanced practice nursing and APRN education programs, must be recognized as professional degree programs for the purposes of federal student loan eligibility and forgiveness.
• We call on the Department of Education to reverse the exclusion of nursing and APRN programs from its definition of “professional degree,” and to revise the rulemaking process to reflect the complex, autonomous, direct-care nature of advanced nursing practice.
• We stand with national organizations (ANA, AACN, AANP, AANA, ACNM etc.) in advocating for full access to federal loan programs, including higher annual and aggregate loan limits, to support graduate nursing students and APRN candidates. 
• We urge Minnesota’s congressional delegation, state leadership, and higher-education institutions to join in raising their voices — facilitating public comments during the rulemaking process, submitting statements, and demonstrating the broad impact this policy will have on Minnesota’s health care system.
• We stand with local state organizations including MNNP, MN NACNS, MN ACNM, and MANA.

Call to Action

• We encourage all Minnesota APRNs, nursing faculty, nursing students, and allied health professionals to engage in this issue: monitor the DOE’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), submit public comments when open, and contact federal lawmakers in support of recognizing nursing as a professional discipline.
• We will provide resources and timely alerts to our members regarding comment periods, advocacy toolkits, and collaborative efforts with stakeholder organizations.
• Sign this petition: https://ana.quorum.us/campaign/professionaldegreepetition/

Conclusion
Nursing is the largest segment of the health-care workforce, and APRNs are essential providers of safe, high-quality care — especially in underserved and rural communities. The decision to exclude nursing from the “professional degree” definition not only jeopardizes individual educational pathways but threatens the broader health and welfare of our communities. The Minnesota APRN Coalition remains committed to safeguarding the future of nursing practice, education, and access to care.

We will continue to monitor this issue closely and to work in partnership with our members, stakeholders, and policymakers to ensure that nursing and APRN education receive the recognition, equity, and support they deserve especially when it comes to access to student loans.

Respectfully submitted,

Kerry Johnson on behalf of the Minnesota APRN Coalition Board of Directors
11/22/2025