Sigma Statement on Court Decision Preserving Nursing's Professional Degree Status

Nursing will continue to be classified as a professional degree for now. On 24 June 2026, the US District Court for the District of Columbia temporarily blocked the portion of a Department of Education rule, removing graduate nursing programs from the federal list of professional degrees. This decision preserves access to loan terms and program recognition that reflect the true scope of graduate-level nursing education.

This is an interim ruling, not a final resolution. The underlying rule remains the subject of legal challenge, and the classification issue is not fully settled. However, the decision supports Sigma’s position, as stated in our public comment earlier this year: graduate nursing education should receive the same recognition as other clinical and professional degree programs, because the advanced practice, leadership, and scholarship nurses provide are essential to patient care.

“Every day, nurses show up for their patients and communities in ways that go unrecognized,” said Sigma Chief Executive Officer Lucas M. Davis, MEd, CAE. “This ruling is a meaningful, if temporary, step in the right direction. Sigma will continue to advocate alongside our partners to strengthen the profession from within and achieve the permanent recognition it deserves.” 

Sigma President Liz Westcott, DCM, MSc, DipMan, RNT, RN, FFNMRCSI, said, “This ruling reminds us that when nurses lead together, their voices are heard and they make a meaningful impact on policy. I am encouraged by this decision, but the job is not done until nursing’s professional standing is fully secured.”

Sigma will continue to monitor this litigation and, alongside our members, chapters, and partner organizations, advocate for policies that reflect nursing's 

About Sigma

The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. Founded in 1922, Sigma has more than 100,000 active members and 600 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare. 

Learn more at SigmaNursing.org.