Higher education is already too expensive, and now a new rule by the U.S. Department of Education would exclude nurses, social workers, and public health workers from being considered “professionals.”
This new rule would restrict access to federal student loans for these and other dedicated professionals who want to pursue a graduate degree. As a result, the path to an advanced degree would be blocked for many nurses, social workers and others from important public service fields.
In Nebraska, we are already facing severe staffing shortages in these fields. And if the pipeline of vital health care professions dries up, all Nebraskans, especially those in our rural communities, will struggle to receive the health care they need.
This rule is an insult to the workers who dedicate their lives to caring for others and will harm our communities by shrinking the pool of talented public service professionals at a time when we need them the most.
NAPE/AFSCME members have united to tell the Department of Education that nurses, social workers, and public health workers are professionals. You can read a copy of our letter to the Department here.