WASHINGTON – Essentia Health wants the U.S. Department of Education to reconsider proposed changes to graduate student loan policies the health care chain says restricts health care.
The proposed rule revises the department’s administrative definition of professional degree programs excluding nursing, physician assistants, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work and education from the list of qualifying health care fields. If the rule takes effect, people wanting to go into those field would be limited in how much money students can borrow from federal student loan programs for these roles.
“Essentia is deeply concerned about these proposed changes and their effect on the future of our workforce. By limiting access to financial aid for those seeking advanced health care degrees, the proposed policy changes will shrink the pipeline of future providers,” said Karla French Baker, Essentia Health West Market director of advanced practice. “The effects of these changes will be felt most acutely in rural areas that already struggle to recruit and retain clinicians. Facing these workforce shortages, we should be making it easier for students to choose advanced health care professions, not more difficult.”
The Department of Education said its data shows 95% of nursing students borrow below the annual loan limit and aren’t affected by the proposed caps.
