Methodist in the Media
Nebraska Methodist College and other top nursing schools contemplate navigating DOE changes
Published: Dec. 22, 2025
The Trump administration’s recent decision to redefine which degrees are considered “professional” sent nursing unions into a tizzy last month, but the nation’s top nursing schools are still waiting to find out what that will mean for their programs.
On Nov. 6, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) announced that it would no longer classify nursing as a professional degree, capping the federal loans that graduate nursing students would be allowed to borrow.
Officials from three schools on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Colleges for Women – including Nebraska Methodist College (NMC) – told Newsweek that nursing institutions are closely monitoring ongoing developments to determine how to best support their students.
“We all know that nursing is a professional degree. (Nursing) is a profession,” Mindy Barna, NMC’s dean of nursing and vice president of operations, told Newsweek. “What the major confusion has come down to is how it is being described through federal financial aid.”
Newsweek: America’s Top Nursing Schools on Navigating DOE Changes
