As the financial landscape for nursing students changes, concerns arise over the potential implications on the healthcare system. A provision in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act — President Donald Trump’s prominent budgetary legislation — introduces new restrictions on federal student loans for advanced degree-seeking students. These limitations are particularly stringent for those not pursuing “professional” degrees, impacting fields such as nursing and public health.
Recent research from the University of Michigan highlights the significant impact of nursing school debt on the profession. According to a study published in Health Affairs Scholar, the combination of high debt and new loan caps could drive nurses from the field, thereby threatening healthcare accessibility. The study reveals that nearly one-third of registered and advanced practice nurses face student loan debt that may influence their career decisions.
Christopher Friese, a principal investigator of the study and a professor at the University of Michigan, noted, “We often hear the term nursing shortage. It’s really not a shortage of nurses. It’s really a vacancy problem, which speaks to the need to make sure that our workplaces are strong and healthy, that nurses have the support they need.”
The study’s findings are based on responses from the 2022 Michigan Nurses Study, which surveyed 13,687 licensed nurses in Michigan. Results indicate that about 28% of registered nurses and 33% of advanced practice nurses hold student loans. Among those planning to leave or who have recently left their roles, 51% with student loans cited low pay and inadequate benefits as reasons for their decision, compared to just 10% of those without debt.
Friese emphasizes the importance of retaining nurses and encouraging them to seek further education for the benefit of statewide healthcare access. He expressed concern that new loan caps could hinder these efforts: “If nurses are carrying substantial debt for their basic RN program and they run up against this cap, they’re not going to be able to borrow enough money to actually pay for graduate school.”
Nurses with advanced degrees have diverse career paths, serving crucial roles such as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists. They also contribute to education by teaching in nursing schools. Friese pointed out that nearly 30% of advanced practice nurses with student debt already surpass the proposed $100,000 cap, potentially prompting them to leave the field. He stated, “It’s hard to see how we could produce the number of advanced practice nurses that Michigan needs if we don’t have that flexibility.”
