Public Comment open for Reimagining and Improving Student Education proposal

Make your voice heard!  Go to Regulations.gov to leave a public comment regarding the loan limits for graduate school for nursing.  The Department of Education proposes the Reimagining and Improving Student Education that will define nursing as a graduate program and not a professional program.  This distinction will cap loan limits for graduate programs at $20,500 annually with an aggregate maximum limit of $100,000.  Professional programs defined under this proposal include medicine (MD, DO), dentistry, pharmacy, law and veterinary medicine.   Professional programs will cap loan limits at $50,000 annually and $200,000 aggregate.

 The proposal includes other changes, including:

• Elimination of the Grad PLUS Program, which helps graduate students cover education costs not paid for by other financial aid.
• Cap Parent PLUS loans, which help eligible parents of dependent undergraduate students pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid.
• Sunset student loan repayment plans based on household income and family size and establish 10- to 25-year repayment plans that base payment amounts and schedule on the amount borrowed.
• The Department of Education will also offer a new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). Borrowers will pay at least $10 a month or a percentage point for every $10,000 of their adjusted gross income up to a maximum of 10%. After 30 years or 360 on-time payments, the loans will be forgiven.

 

Go to: https://www.regulations.gov/document/ED-2025-OPE-0944-0001 to leave your comment before March 2, 2026.  More successful comments illustrate a personal story of how these proposals will affect NPs and the patients under their care.  TELL YOUR STORY!

Need help?  The AANP Advocacy Center has more information.  https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/department-of-education-definition-of-professional-degree-program

 

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