Dear Colleagues,
Many of you may have heard about the possibility that nurse practitioner programs could be excluded from the new definition of a professional degree. This change would significantly affect future nurse practitioner students’ ability to access educational loans and could also impact the communities that rely on nurse practitioners for care.
While we await the Department of Education’s public comment period, there are two important actions we can take right now:
- Contact your legislators: Use American Association of Nurse Practitioner’s advocacy link to reach out to our Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as your Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Sign ANA’s petition: Add your name to the American Nurses Association’s online petition that will be submitted to the Department of Education.
Please also keep an eye out for future emails with information about the Department of Education’s public comment period, where you will be able to share your input directly.
Thank you for the tireless work you do for our community and our patients.
The Federal Advocacy Committee
Patricia Morgan, Sara Weelborg, and Zoë Evans-Agnew
Update for December 12, 2025
A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to a list of college programs that are considered “professional,” adding to public outcry after nurses were omitted from a new agency definition.
The letter was signed by the following members of the Washington State Congressional delegation: U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene, Pramila Jayapal, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Emily Randall, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland.
You can read a copy of the letter to the Under Secretary of Education
U.S. Department of Education here.