Illinois Public Radio

Statewide: Proposed changes to nursing classification have many students concerned

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published January 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM CST

Nursing has been added to the list of professionals the Department of Education is no longer considering a "professional degree." This change is related to efforts to cap the number of students eligible for federal loans and the amount of money they can borrow.

Nursing advocates and program administrators are warning about the repercussions.

This week:

* A woman who says she saw the shortcomings in the elder care system as her mother was placed in assisted living and hospice has written a book. She tells her story.

* Charlie Schlenker reports the Illinois-based automaker Rivian has unveiled new technology it says will put it at the forefront of autonomous vehicles.

* Two SIU professors who came to the system as international students discuss what is happening with those students today.

* We hear from the author of a new book on the Edmund Fitzgerald. The freighter sunk in the Great Lakes 50 years ago.

* Eileen Collins, Dean of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing, talks about a federal plan that could make it harder for some students to go to school.