MAINE, USA — The U.S. Department of Education has proposed changes to its student loan eligibility provisions, and leaders of nursing organizations believe the changes will make it harder for nurses to afford graduate school, leading to fewer nurses pursuing the profession.

The proposal completely eliminates the Grad Plus program, which in many cases covers the total cost of graduate school programs for nursing students and other students who qualify for the federal loan funding.

The drafted provisions also introduce new federal loan funding caps and regulations to determine which graduate degrees receive more or less funding.

Graduate school nursing students are excluded from the department's definition of professional students, making nurses working towards becoming nurse practitioner

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