How Ascend Learning Is Advocating for Your Students and Faculty

In response to proposed federal loan reclassifications that would curtail access to graduate nursing education, Ascend Learning, the parent company of ATI, has formally asked the U.S. Department of Education to reconsider.

Ascend and ATI recently submitted comments to Linda McMahon, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, calling on the department to recognize advanced nursing degrees and graduate nursing education programs as professional degrees in classification language for federal loans.

What Is in the Proposed Loan Reclassifications?

The proposed loan reclassifications were developed by the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) rulemaking committee. If finalized as drafted, this reclassification would restructure federal student loan limits and exclude nursing and other essential healthcare professionals from the list of “Professional Degrees.” Instead, these programs would be classified as “Graduate Degrees.”

The consequences of this classification are significant:

• Students in Professional Degree programs would be limited to borrowing $50,000 annually and $200,000 over their lifetime.
• Students in Graduate Degree programs would be limited to borrowing $20,500 annually and $100,000 over their lifetime.

What Impact Would the Reclassification Have on Nursing?

This rule threatens the pipeline of qualified advanced practice nurses and nursing education faculty by making it harder for future nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse educators to secure the federal financial aid they need.

If federal student loan funding is insufficient, many future healthcare workers may not be able to afford to pursue advanced degrees. The Department of Education released a “Myth vs. Fact”  statement in November 2025 suggesting that the proposed loan classification changes may influence graduate programs to lower tuition. However, this may not be the case in practice. Many students may be forced into private loan markets that typically carry higher interest rates, offer fewer borrower protections, and provide less flexible repayment options.

What Specific Concerns Did ATI and Ascend Learning Express?

In the comment letter to the Department of Education from Ascend Learning, we wrote:

“Ascend Learning is particularly concerned about the treatment of advanced nursing degrees — including nurse practitioner (NP), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and nursing education master’s and doctoral programs — which are essential not only for advanced clinical practice but for preparing the next generation of nursing faculty. These programs are indispensable to maintaining the nation’s nursing workforce pipeline and addressing the severe shortage of qualified nursing educators.”

We are also concerned that the proposed loan caps could diminish the capacity of nursing programs and exacerbate the national nursing shortage.

“For institutions, the expected effects include program contractions or closures, reduced instructional capacity and faculty retention, and incentives to prioritize applicants based on ability to pay rather than academic qualifications. For students, the likely outcomes include diminished program quality due to resource constraints, reduced access to programs — especially in areas already facing provider shortages — and higher financial barriers that deter qualified candidates from enrolling. Ultimately, these pressures would exacerbate shortages of advanced practice clinicians and nursing faculty and thereby limit the healthcare system’s capacity to meet patient demand and threaten the availability and quality of care nationwide.”

Now is the time to expand — not limit — pathways for nurses and other future healthcare professionals to advance their careers.

What’s Next in This Effort to Prevent Loan Reclassifications?

ATI and Ascend Learning are continuing to monitor the proposed regulations and work with policymakers to protect access to education for passionate nurses who want to further their careers.

To help us elevate real-world impacts directly to policymakers, we are gathering insights from nursing programs across the country. Your perspective is essential! We need your voices in this mission. Share your thoughts with me via email at [email protected] or in person at the 2026 National Nurse Educator Summit in Tucson, Ariz., April 26-29.

During the Summit, myself and ATI Chief Nursing Officer Patty Knecht, PhD, RN, ANEF, will be available and eager to hear your thoughts on this and other issues affecting nursing education. In addition, we encourage you to attend a preconference session on public policy on April 26 at 4:45 pm. This presentation will share legislative and policy insights and include a Q&A session.

When providing feedback to us, we invite you to consider the following questions:

Nursing Faculty:

• How would reduced access to federal loans affect your students’ ability to enroll or persist?
• How might it influence the pipeline of future faculty entering your discipline?

 Program Directors and Department Chairs:

• Would these loan caps affect your enrollment, budgeting, or resource planning?
• Are you hearing early concerns from prospective or current graduate students?

 Deans and Senior Academic Leaders:

• How could these changes affect institutional strategy, program viability, or workforce planning?
• What long-term risks do you see to advanced nursing education capacity?
• We welcome the opportunity to connect. We invite you to:
• share observations from your program or your students
• ask questions about this policy change
• get more engaged in ATI’s public policy efforts.

Together, we can help protect access to advanced nursing education and support the future of the nursing workforce.

Share Your Perspective or Get Involved

Your input directly strengthens advocacy efforts by Ascend Learning and ATI. Please reach out to Kurt Burkum, Senior Director of Government Relations, at [email protected] on any federal or state policy issues that affect nursing education.