A recently passed congressional spending bill could lead to additional staffing shortages in the Missouri nursing industry, advocates say. That’s because the bill places a cap on federal loans available to pay for some graduate programs, including graduate nursing degrees.

The new rule caps loans for grad students in what the Department of Education calls nonprofessional fields. Starting in 2026, those students may now borrow no more than $20,500 a year and $100,000 total. Professional programs, including medicine and law, remain eligible for up to $50,000 annually, or $200,000 total.

The federal government does not designate nursing as a professional degree, though Department of Education officials said last month that the designation is an internal definition used to distinguis

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