Summary
The U.S. Department of Education plans to change how certain degrees, like nursing and public health, are labeled. This change would make it harder for students in these fields to get government loans, potentially leading to fewer workers in essential health-related jobs. This might affect the availability of healthcare services, especially in underserved areas.
Key Facts
- The Department of Education wants to reclassify some degrees from "professional" to "non-professional."
- This change affects fields like nursing, public health, and social work.
- If reclassified, students in these fields might struggle to access federal graduate loans.
- Many of these fields already face worker shortages.
- The reclassification could disproportionately affect women and people of color, who are a major part of these fields.
- Healthcare areas that might suffer include rural and low-income neighborhoods.
- The U.S. healthcare sector has over 2 million job openings each year, many in public and social health services.
- There is a projected 10% shortage of registered nurses by 2027.
