In response to a decision by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that fails to classify post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as “professional degrees,” imposing stricter limits on federal student loans for nurses, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the bipartisan Nursing is a Professional Degree Act, which will classify post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as “professional degrees,” allowing nurses taking out federal student loans to a cap of $50,000 annually and $200,000 in the aggregate.

For more information, read Senator Merkley’s press release here.