U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) continues to denounce the U.S. Department of Education final rule set to take effect July 1 that will define which healthcare professions qualify as “professional degrees.”
The rule excludes post-baccalaureate nursing programs from this designation, an action that the congresswoman says will result in individuals who are pursuing post-baccalaureate nursing degrees facing lower federal borrowing limits for student loans. In turn, this will create additional barriers to entering the profession, she said.
The department’s final rule “is incredibly frustrating and disenfranchises these men and women that are on the front lines of health care every day,” Rep. Kiggans said in a May 1 statement.
“As a nurse practitioner, I know the value and impact advanced practice nurses bring to our communities’ health and well-being,” the congresswoman said. “As our nation continues to grapple with a healthcare workforce shortage, this decision will increase-out-pocket costs and create an inequitable financial structure compared to other clinical programs.
“This disincentivizes talented young students from entering the field at a time when we need them most,” she added.
The final rule comes after more than six months of sustained, bipartisan, and bicameral advocacy led by Rep. Kiggans, who has repeatedly raised concerns about the exclusion of post-baccalaureate nursing programs.
Alongside U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Rep. Kiggans said she remains committed to introducing legislation that would address the issue.
Most recently, Rep. Kiggans, Sen. Merkley, and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) sent a letter in March to Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent about the issue. This was the third such letter Rep. Kiggans sent to the Department of Education.
“As the representative of Virginia’s Second Congressional District, it is my responsibility to help grow our healthcare workforce and expand access to quality care across Coastal Virginia,” Rep. Kiggans said. “I am proud to continue this work with Sen. Merkley to get nurses onto the professional degree list.”
Their efforts are supported by myriad organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Nurses Association, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, among others.