CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — A new federal loan proposal is raising concerns among nursing leaders, who say it could make nursing programs harder to afford and worsen the nation’s already critical shortage of nurses.

The proposal, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would set new limits on how much students can borrow for college starting July 1, 2026. Professional degree programs, such as law and medicine, would have a federal loan cap of $50,000 per year and a $200,000 lifetime limit.

However, nursing programs would not be considered professional degrees under this plan. That means nursing students would be subject to lower federal loan caps, $20,500 per year and a $100,000 lifetime limit.

Advocates warn this could create serious financial barriers. Many graduate nursing programs cos

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