SCR140

Sponsored by:

Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN

District 20 (Union)

Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE

District 19 (Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

Urges U.S. Department of Education to include nursing degree programs within list of professional degree programs used by federal student loan system.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As introduced.

A Concurrent Resolution respectfully urging the United States Department of Education to ensure enhanced borrowing availability for nursing education.

Whereas, The federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” required the federal Department of Education to designate programs as professional degree programs under the federal student loan system to be eligible for higher federal lending limits; and

Whereas, The federal law also revised the borrowing limits for federal student loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026. Graduate students will see new limits of up to $20,500 per year ($100,000 lifetime cap), while students in professional degree programs will see higher limits of $50,000 a year ($200,000 lifetime cap); and

Whereas, The United States Department of Education, however, has proposed rules that exclude nursing degree programs from the list of professional degree programs that have higher borrowing limits. This means nursing students will have less access to borrowing at a time when the nation is facing a critical shortage of nurses; and

Whereas, The change will impact hundreds of thousands of students. According to the American Nurses Association, more than 260,000 students are currently enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs and another 42,000 students are currently enrolled in Associate Degree in Nursing programs; and

Whereas, Nursing and other health care professionals have sounded the alarm that limiting access to borrowing for nursing education threatens the very foundation of patient care at a time when the health care environment is already under great strain; and

Whereas, The nursing shortage is expected to become more acute in the coming years, and New Jersey will be especially hard hit. According to a report by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, New Jersey is facing a projected shortage of more than 24,000 nurses by the year 2036, the fourth largest shortage in the nation; and

Whereas, Experts caution that the rule change will have far-reaching consequences to the supply of nurses in advanced practice roles and teaching positions. Nurse practitioners, in particular, are essential to meeting critical needs in medically underserved areas, including rural and urban areas. They are also critically needed as teachers who grow and sustain the nursing workforce; and

Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper for the Legislature of the State of New Jersey to urge the United States Department of Education to revise the definition of professional degree programs, as it applies to federal student loan programs, to include nursing degree programs; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):

1. The Legislature of the State of New Jersey respectfully urges the United States Department of Education to revise the definition of professional degree programs, as it applies to federal student loan programs, to include nursing degree programs.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the United States and the United States Secretary of Education.

STATEMENT

This resolution respectfully urges the United States Department of Education to revise the definition of professional degree programs, as it applies to federal student loan programs, to include nursing degree programs.

The federal administration has proposed new borrowing limits for federal student loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026. Under these changes, nursing degree programs will no longer be considered “professional degree programs,” as that term is used by the federal student loan system. As a result, nursing students will have access to lower amounts of borrowing. It is the sponsor’s belief that limiting access to student loan borrowing for nursing education threatens the very foundation of patient care at a time when the health care environment is already under great strain.