Higher education is already too expensive, and now a new rule by the U.S. Department of Education would exclude nurses, social workers and public health workers from being considered “professionals.”
This new rule would restrict access to federal student loans for these and other dedicated professionals who want to pursue a graduate degree. As a result, the path to an advanced degree would be blocked for many nurses, social workers and others from important public service fields.
Workers nationwide already face severe staffing shortages in these fields. And if the pipeline of nurse practitioners and other vital health care professions dries up, all Americans, especially those in rural communities, would struggle to receive the health care they need.
The administration should be working to support people who want to join these honorable careers by making it easier and more affordable to pursue additional training and certifications.
But instead, they’re making higher education less affordable. This rule is an insult to the workers who dedicate their lives to caring for others and will harm our communities by shrinking the pool of talented public service professionals at a time when we need them the most.
You can join the fight to protect the path to higher education for these professionals. Submit a comment today to the Department of Education.
Tell them that nurses, social workers, and public health workers are professionals.