AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Education has released a proposed rule that would exclude nurse practitioner (NP) programs from the definition of professional degree, and in doing so limit student access to federal student loans to support their education. If made final, this will deter future students from pursuing careers as NPs, just when our nation needs them most. The proposed rule will limit patients' access to timely, high-quality care in communities across the country.

"We must embrace individuals with a passion for providing care in their communities, not deter them from their career aspirations with an overly restrictive definition," said AANP President Valerie Fuller, PhD, DNP. "The proposed rule fundamentally misunderstands NP practice and discounts the skills and qualifications of NPs in communities across the country. We call on the Department to amend its definition to ensure that the final rule includes NP programs as professional degree programs."

NPs are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who are prepared at the master's or doctoral level to provide primary, acute, chronic and specialty care to patients of all ages and backgrounds. NPs perform nearly one billion patient visits annually — providing access to health care in counties nationwide. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as of 2024, there were over 243,000 NPs billing for Medicare services. This makes NPs the largest Medicare designated provider specialty, and approximately 80% of NPs are seeing Medicare and Medicaid patients.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® is the largest professional membership organization representing the 461,000 licensed nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP advances health policy and promotes excellence in practice, education and research to support high-quality, patient-centered care. Learn more at aanp.org.

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SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)