ISAPN Opposition to the Proposed OBBB Rule Limiting Federal Graduate Loan Access

Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing Board Statement

Advanced practice registered nurses provide critical health services in Illinois. They deliver primary care, support maternal health, manage chronic illness, and staff hospitals and rural facilities where no other providers are available. Students who prepare for these roles need graduate-level education. Limiting access to federal graduate loans creates barriers to that education and threatens the workforce pipeline.

The proposed federal policy would remove advanced practice nursing programs from the category of professional degrees and impose borrowing limits for students pursuing NP, CNM, CNS, and CRNA degrees. These limits would push students toward high-cost private loans and reduce the number of APRNs entering practice. Fewer APRNs means fewer providers in rural communities, maternity care deserts, and critical access hospitals. This policy harms both the nursing workforce and the patients who depend on APRN care.

APRNs save money, expand access, and improve patient outcomes. Research shows lower spending in hospitals with higher NP staffing, strong safety outcomes with CRNA-led anesthesia models, and major cost reductions from CNS-led programs. CNMs support Medicaid birth services and stabilize maternity care in rural communities where options are limited. Restricting funding for education in these fields disrupts proven solutions for Illinois communities.

The Board urges federal policymakers to restore full loan access for advanced practice nursing students, avoid policies that shift costs to individuals, and address the drivers of tuition growth instead of limiting educational financing.

The full statement from the ISAPN Board is attached for your review.