It is no longer a secret that the nursing workforce in the United States is in short supply. This decline, spurred in part by the growing aging population and the recent pandemic, has become a major threat to the nation’s overall healthcare system. At the current rate, it won’t be an overstatement to say that we’re at a near crisis level; that is, if we aren’t already in one. The ongoing nursing shortage puts a significant strain on the healthcare system, leading to higher patient-to-nurse ratios, which translates to poor patient outcomes, increased medical errors, higher mortality rates, clinician burnout, and so on. At a time like this, our nation needs no “Act” that further exacerbates the state of nursing by making it unaffordable at any level.

On November 24, 2025, I sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, sharing with him reasons why the Department of Education’s intention to classify nursing as a nonprofessional degree is disastrous, especially to Americans living in rural communities. On December 17, 2025, the White House responded to my letter explaining the president’s broader plan for education, pointing out his plan to close the Department of Education. While I hope the department isn’t entirely closed, wanting to declassify nursing as a profession points to a need for major reform.

The Department of Education, on November 24, 2025, released “Myth vs. Fact: The Definition of Professional Degrees,” a press release intended to clarify and justify their reasons for wanting to remove nursing from the list of professional degrees. However, the porousness of the “facts” can’t be more obvious.

First, the Department of Education stated, “The definition of a ‘professional degree’ is an internal definition used by the Department to distinguish among programs that qualify for higher loan limits, not a value judgement about the importance of programs.” However, it’s impossible to disassociate how the Department of Education defines or values a degree—internal or otherwise—from the public’s perception of the degree. 

One can’t argue against the direct correlation between the department’s definition and the public’s definition. As the nation’s regulator of education, its actions inevitably shape public opinion. It’s more concerning when the so-called change is geared toward making a degree less attainable. This view, whether we like it or not, influences enrollment and retention.

My fellow Americans, this isn’t a time to stand on the sidelines. In the coming weeks or months, the Department of Education is expected to release its notice of proposed rulemaking. This action formally opens the platform for everyone to have a say on this matter. I appeal to everyone to respectfully call for the reversal of this proposal. We can’t afford any action that undermines or appears to undermine the nursing profession—not at a time like this. Our lives depend on it.

According to Schaeffer, the U.S. population is expected to continue aging. The research finds that currently, approximately 62 million adults age 65 and older reside in the United States, accounting for about 18% of the total population. However, this number is expected to increase to roughly 84 million by 2054, accounting for about 23% of the population.

These demographic changes demand more nurses, NPs, nurse anesthetists, and many other nurses with advanced degrees. During the most recent pandemic, the nation watched as nurses across our land showcased their ingenuity to the profession—standing on the front lines, confronting death head-on, and refusing to back down. Now, we need more policies that encourage, promote, and reward nurses to pursue higher education at any level because the nation is safer and healthier when nurses are academically advanced.

Chibueze Ugwuoke is a Nursing Student at Tennessee State University.

References

Schaeffer K. U.S. centenarian population is projected to quadruple over the next 30 years. Pew Research Center. January 9, 2024. pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/09/us-centenarian-population-is-projected-to-quadruple-over-the-next-30-years/

U.S. Department of Education. Myth vs. fact: The definition of professional degrees. November 24, 2025. ed.gov/about/news/press-release/myth-vs-fact-definition-of-professional-degrees