For this week’s Case Management article, I planned to write about how nurses can use career ladders to plan the trajectory of their careers. But then I saw an email from the American Nurses Association stating the U.S. Department of Education has officially excluded nursing in its recently revamped definition of “professional degree” programs, and shifted gears, so I could bring this information to you.

The change to exclude nursing from the revamped definition of ‘professional degree’ is part of the implementation of President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), and it has nursing organizations nationwide raising alarms.  In further reading on this topic, it looks like nursing might never have been on the list. If this is true, it is time to correct the oversight and add nursing and the other disciplines listed below to the list of professional degrees. We know the government is always behind…so this is a good time to correct their oversight.

ANA and other professional organizations say that this move will severely restrict access to critical funding for graduate nursing education, undermining efforts to grow and sustain the nursing workforce.

The new measures are currently scheduled to be implemented starting July 1, 2026.

Nursing was not the only professional discipline affected. Here are the others:

• Nursing.
• Physician assistants.
• Physical therapists.
• Audiologists.
• Architects.
• Accountants.
• Educators.
• Social workers.

As of now, interdisciplinary teams representing these disciplines are working together to address this change and its impact on education (in my case, nursing), and how they can reverse it.

We are waiting for the public comment period to open in early January 2026. Stay tuned for more on this important topic. Your will voice is important to the cause. With over 5 million nurses in the US, the response will be powerful.

 Please follow these professional organizations for information on this topic. There is a lot of misinformation on social media, and these organizations will provide the truth.

American Nurses Association: https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2025/statement-from-the-american-nurses-association-on-proposed-federal-loan-policy-changes

American Association of Colleges of Nursing: https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/aacn-alarmed-over-department-of-educations-proposed-limitation-of-student-loan-access-for-nursing

Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA) has stepped up to reverse this decision. Her website said that she has sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda E. McMahon and Under Secretary Nicholas Kent to re-evaluate the Department’s definition of “professional degree” to include post-baccalaureate nursing degrees in the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee negotiated rulemaking process.  She will keep Nurses updated on the response to the letter. She has said she has every nurse’s back. Please follow her to keep up to date. Letter writing, calls, and other activities to show the force of the 5 million nurses who have voices and will use them to protect their profession. Here is an example of what members of Congress and the Senate are doing to improve Nursing education. https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-introduces-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-to-improve-nursing-education-workforce-development-programs

Snopes: There is a lot of misinformation circulating on the internet on this topic. Here is a link to Snopes for documentation on the change https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-professional-degrees-nursing

As nurses make up the largest discipline in the practice of case management, I hope you will watch as information emerges on this topic. We all need to watch this legislation and use our voices to protect nurses’ rights at all levels. If you have questions, please reach out to Anne Llewellyn at allewellyn48@gmail.com

From my family to YOURS, I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.