The Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) continues to monitor federal actions that could significantly affect access to advanced nursing education. OADN is an Organizational Affiliate of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and supports efforts to ensure that nursing is appropriately recognized as a professional degree and that students pursuing advanced nursing education maintain access to adequate federal financial aid.
While OADN is not a party to the current lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s graduate loan rule, we support the lawsuit’s objective of protecting access to nursing’s educational pathways and helping ensure a strong pipeline of future nurse practitioners, educators, researchers, and leaders.
Lawsuit Challenges Exclusion of Nursing from Professional Degree Designation
On May 29, 2026, the American Nurses Association (ANA) and nine national nursing organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s final rule implementing new federal graduate student loan borrowing limits.
The lawsuit focuses on the Department’s decision to exclude post-baccalaureate nursing degree programs, including MSN, DNP, DNAP, and PhD programs, from the federal definition of “professional degree” programs. Under the rule, nursing students would be subject to significantly lower annual and lifetime borrowing limits than students enrolled in designated professional degree programs.
The plaintiffs argue that the Department exceeded its authority, applied congressional criteria inconsistently, and failed to adequately consider the impact on the nation’s nursing workforce and healthcare access.
Preliminary Injunction Hearing Scheduled
On June 2, ANA and its coalition partners filed a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to prevent the Department of Education from enforcing the rule while the litigation proceeds.
On June 16, the Department of Justice filed its opposition to the injunction request. The nursing organizations are expected to file their reply brief by June 23.
A hearing on the preliminary injunction is scheduled for July 1 in federal court.
The court has recognized the significance of the case and indicated it may take action to prevent enforcement of the rule while it considers the request for injunctive relief. The Department’s rule is currently scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026.
Related Litigation
In addition to the ANA-led lawsuit, a separate legal challenge was filed on May 21, 2026, by an interprofessional coalition of organizations represented by Democracy Forward, including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), National Education Association (NEA), Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), and other plaintiffs.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, similarly challenges the Department of Education’s decision to exclude nursing and other professions from the definition of a professional degree for purposes of federal student loan borrowing limits. The plaintiffs argue that the rule exceeds the Department’s authority and could create significant barriers for students pursuing advanced education in nursing, education, public health, and other professions.
While separate from the ANA-led litigation, this case reflects broader concerns across healthcare and education professions regarding the potential impact of the rule on workforce development and access to graduate education.
Congressional Efforts Continue
While several legislative proposals have been introduced in response to the Department of Education’s rule, OADN is supporting two key bipartisan efforts.
The first is the Congressional Review Act (CRA) Joint Resolution (H.J.Res. 189 / S.J.Res. 196), which would overturn the Department’s final rule and prevent it from taking effect. OADN is among the organizations supporting this resolution through our work with the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC), a broad alliance representing nursing education, practice, research, regulation, and leadership across the profession.
The NCC has formally endorsed the resolution and urged Congress to pass it before the statutory deadline. Supporters argue that the Department disregarded evidence showing that post-baccalaureate nursing programs satisfy the criteria established by Congress for professional degree status and failed to account for the substantial workforce needs facing the healthcare system. We understand that the U.S. Senate may consider the CRA resolution as early as this week.
The second is the bipartisan Nursing is a Professional Degree Act (H.R. 8691 / S. 4568), introduced by Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and bipartisan House cosponsors and by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and bipartisan Senate cosponsors. The legislation would permanently include post-baccalaureate nursing programs within the federal definition of a professional degree.
OADN joined dozens of national nursing organizations in endorsing this legislation through the NCC and supports its passage as a long-term solution to protect access to advanced nursing education. If enacted, the legislation would reverse the Department of Education’s exclusion of nursing programs and ensure that advanced nursing students have access to the same federal borrowing limits available to students in other professional degree programs.
OADN’s Commitment
OADN remains committed to advocating for policies that strengthen nursing education and support pathways into advanced nursing practice. Ensuring access to advanced nursing education is essential to developing the nurse faculty, researchers, and advanced practice nurses needed to educate future nurses and meet growing healthcare needs. We will continue to monitor developments in both the courts and Congress and provide updates as additional information becomes available.