AFSCME, other unions challenge unfair federal student loan caps for certain public service workers
A new Department of Education rule unfairly limits graduate school loans for people in high-demand professions such as nursing, public health and social work. That’s why AFSCME and a coalition of unions are challenging the harmful rule in court.
“The same administration that cut health care to give billionaires more tax cuts is now trying to make it impossible for advanced practice nurses, social workers, public health professionals, and others to afford the education they need to care for our communities,” said AFSCME President Emeritus Lee Saunders, who retired in mid-August, shortly after this lawsuit was filed.
“We are already facing staffing crises in too many public service professions, and this rule threatens to make the situation even more dire. The court must strike down this illegal rule to protect quality patient care, social services and public health, and ensure that workers aren’t priced out of these critical public service professions,” Saunders said.
By claiming certain graduate degree programs don’t qualify as “professional,” the Trump administration has insulted hundreds of thousands of public service and health care workers and put advanced degrees out of their reach financially.
The union coalition filing the suit includes AFSCME, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Nurses Union and the AFL-CIO.
