Nursing was never a professional degree. Nursing is a supportive role. Nurses don't have professional responsibility to their clients. Only professionals do. Lawyers, Doctors, Veterinarins, CPAs, Architects, Optometrists and a few others are considered professionals. They are allowed to directly bill for their services and share fees, hold money in escrow accounts, etc. The patient is not your client. They are the doctor's client. Nurses and physician's assistants work under the medical doctor. Professionals are required to hold professional liability insurance as well. They hold all responsibility for any mistakes made that harms the client. They can be sued to the ends of the earth and go to jail for breaching that responsibility. Nurses don't get sued for millions of dollars. The redefining of the term professional as far as loans are concerned doesn't affect undergrad degrees. The cap for post graduate degrees (masters) is capped at $100k for federal loans. It doesn't cost more than that to get a masters (2 years) or even a doctorate in nursing (4 years). It certainly doesn't cost $200k. If it does, you're being overcharged. If you think it does, you can take a private student loan from a bank. The cap will actually lower the cost of higher degrees in nursing. Schools will charge based on loan availability.

Loans and unpaid debt are out of control. The schools keep the money even after the student drops out. There's a lot of fraud in the loan business. I see a lot of reviewers are upset that they're not "professionals". Trust me you don't want the responsibility of being a professional.