Federal loan caps spotlight gap between two Ohio nursing programs

New federal limits on graduate student borrowing are highlighting a stark contrast between two Ohio nursing programs. Using data from the federal College Scorecard, Case Western Reserve’s median federal student loan debt for nursing master’s recipients in 2019 and 2020 was $124,668, while Kent State’s was $37,500.

The difference reflects factors the schools said are not entirely under their control: Case is private and located in Cleveland, with higher costs of living and estimated graduate student living expenses of at least $24,512 per academic year, while most Kent State graduate nursing students work part time and many receive employer tuition reimbursement.

Last year’s law set different caps by program type — up to $200,000 for students in designated “professional” graduate programs and $100,000 for others — and nurses were not placed in the professional category. The Education Department has said caps will push programs to reduce costs, and during rule-making a committee tried to reclassify more health programs but only clinical psychology moved into the larger-borrowing category.

There is a small chance nursing master’s degrees could shift categories before the law takes full effect; otherwise schools such as Case are likely to seek more discounts or turn to private lenders and state options, and analysts warn many lower-income prospective students across health and helping professions could be unable to matriculate.

Key Topics

Business, Case Western Reserve, Kent State, Student Loan Cap, Education Department, Cleveland