WASHINGTON, D.C., May 21, 2026 – Today, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) announced that it is taking legal action in response to the Department of Education’s (ED) final rule, published May 1, which excludes nursing from its definition of professional degree programs. AACN is joining with a interprofessional group of national organizations to preserve access to federal student loan funding for post-baccalaureate students, which is critical to protecting the nation’s health. The plaintiffs are challenging a new policy that would unlawfully exclude a wide variety of professionals from adequate access to ED’s Direct Loan program – the largest source of federal financial assistance for postsecondary education.

AACN is signing on as a plaintiff in this lawsuit to stop the final rule from taking effect on July 1, 2026, which would harm nursing schools, graduate nursing students, and the future supply of advanced practice nurses, faculty, researchers, leaders, and other expert clinicians. Without an injunction, the new student loan regulations would have a devastating impact on the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year commencing in the fall.

“Preserving all pathways into advanced nursing programs and expanding the pool of nursing graduates must be a national priority to meet the demand for expert nursing care,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN President and Chief Executive Officer. “AACN will continue to lead the academic nursing community on championing nursing as a professional degree and remains committed to pursuing all available avenues to reversing the Department of Education’s decision.”

Submitted by a coalition of leading healthcare and higher education associations, the complaint filed today asks the court to block the rule that violates the Administrative Procedure Act. The following organizations signed on as plaintiffs:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• National Education Association

The plaintiffs are represented in this case by Democracy Forward and Jacobson Lawyers Group PLLC.

This action is separate from the lawsuit announced by 24 state attorney generals and two governors on Monday, May 18 and a legal action advanced by the American Nurses Association and other nursing organizations. The collective benefit of having multiple plaintiffs and lawsuits with national nursing leadership will increase pressure on the Administration and show widespread support for amending the final rule across leading healthcare and higher education groups.

Rationale for Legal Action

Nearly 200,000 nursing students are currently enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs nationwide with plans to enter the workforce as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, faculty, researchers, leaders, and in other clinical roles.

According to AACN data released in December 2025, more than 80% of post-baccalaureate nursing student respondents reported that capping the annual student loan limit at $20,500 and the aggregate loan limit at $100,000 would negatively impact their ability to finance their education. Anecdotally, we are hearing that many students would need to delay or abandon their pursuit of graduate education without sufficient federal loan support to cover tuition, clinical education fees, and living expenses.

At the institution level, 77% of AACN member dean respondents reported that the new loan caps will negatively impact faculty at their school. In addition, 71% of dean respondents anticipate that new loan caps will have negative downstream consequences on their school’s baccalaureate enrollment, jeopardizing the ability of nursing schools to graduate enough entry-level nurses to ensure access to quality patient care across communities in need.

For more information about AACN’s work to promote nursing as a professional degree, see our online advocacy hub.

Click here to read the complaint.

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The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for academic nursing representing more than 890 schools of nursing nationwide. AACN establishes quality standards for nursing education, influences the nursing profession to improve health care, and promotes public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research, and practice.