April 2026

Breaking News! 

Department of Education Releases Final Rule on Student Loan Limits

Earlier today, the Department of Education released its unpublished final rule on student loan limits. This final rule does not include post-baccalaureate nursing in its definition of “professional degree” programs. Stay tuned – additional updates will be forthcoming.

Advocacy & Engagement

39 Senators Support FY 2027 Funding for Title VIII in Senate Dear Colleague Letter

On April 21, thirty-nine Senators signed onto a Senate Dear Colleague Letter requesting $610 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs in Fiscal Year 2027.   

NCC Submits Testimony to House Appropriations LHHS-ED Subcommittee

On April 16, fifty-nine members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto written testimony submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The testimony featured the NCC’s funding requests of at least $610 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and at least $215 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research in Fiscal Year 2027. 

NCC Statement on the President’s FY 2027 Budget

On April 6, the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) issued a statement strongly opposing the steep cuts proposed to key domestic and healthcare programs in the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget, including to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs. 

NCC Sends FY 2027 Appropriations Requests to House and Senate LHHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittees

On April 3, fifty-eight members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies requesting at least $610 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and at least $215 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) in Fiscal Year 2027. 

Events & Meetings

The Nursing Community Coalition held a virtual monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Federal Funding Opportunities: Apply Today

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Funding Webinar:

HRSA Nursing Workforce Funding Opportunities Webinar. On May 6, HRSA will be hosting a webinar from 1:00 – 3:00 pm (ET) to highlight various funding opportunities available to nurses and nursing students. To register for this webinar, click here.

NCC Connections

• Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR) is hosing a listening session on May 4, 2026 from 1:30 – 3:00 pm (ET). This listening session will provide information on NINR, its role within NIH, and its future priorities. To register for this event, click here.
• FNINR is also hosting its annual NightinGala on October 7, 2026. For more information and to register, click here.

In Case You Missed It…

• FY 2027 President’s Budget Request
  • On April 3, the President released his FY 2027 budget request. See key documents below, including:
    • HHS Budget in Brief
    • HHS Appendix
    • Administration for a Health America (AHA) Budget Justification 
    • NINR Budget Justification (this document was released on April 10)
  • The President’s FY 2027 budget proposed:
    • $92.635 million for the Title VIII programs, or a $212.837 million (69.67%) reduction from FY 2026 enacted levels. This includes the proposed elimination of all Title VIII programs except the Nurse Corps.
    • $138.385 million for NINR, or a $59.308 million (30%) reduction from FY 2026 enacted levels.
• On March 20, the Administration released its national AI legislative framework. For more information, click here.
• On March 25, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article titled, “Using Data to Inform Decision Making — Borrowing Limits for Graduate Nursing Students.”
• On March 30, Becker’s published an article titled, “Nurses: This is our defining moment.”
• On April 1, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “Nursing Is the Surefire New Path to American Prosperity.”
• On April 28, Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), expressed strong support for Nursing as a Professional Degree during a Senate Appropriations LHHS-ED Subcommittee hearing with Department of Education Secretary, Linda McMahon. View the hearing here, with Senator Merkley’s remarks beginning at 1:05:29.
• On May 7, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (ET), NINR is launching its Early-Stage Investigator Lecture Series. To register for the first lecture titled, “Advancing Systems to Optimize Care”, click here.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has an active request for information (RFI) related to its framework for an NIH-wide strategic plan. NIH is accepting responses to the RFI through May 26. For more information and to respond to the RFI, click here.
• On May 27, from 9:30 – 11:00 am (ET), Research!America, in partnership with the National Health Council, is hosting an NINR listening session. This event will be held at the Barbara Jordan Conference Center, located at 1330 G St NW in Washington, D.C. To register for the event, click here.

Post of the Month

#ICYMI: HRSA will host its second live Q&A session tomorrow, April 2, from 10 am to 3 pm ET to answer YOUR burning questions about the Nurse Corps Scholarship program. Please join Thursday’s live session using the following link: https://bit.ly/4rEskb5

HPASC Purpose and Objectives

To promote awareness within the DNA of issues and concerns in the area of Health Policy and Advocacy that assists DNA and it’s members to achieve their strategic goal of effectively advocating for members, patients, and the general public by:

1. Increasing membership involvement and understanding in health policy and advocacy efforts.
2. Acting as a resource for information on issues related to health policy and advocacy.
3. Working with members to investigate, consider, report, and act on advocacy issues commensurate with DNA’s Strategic plan.
4. Facilitating membership awareness, discussions, and activities.

HPASC Projects

• Support nursing within the Nursing Community
• Support cancer research, prevention, and education with One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC)
• Support State  Legislation to  prohibit tanning bed use by Children with The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network ACS CAN
• Support The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association SUNucate

Health Policy Advocacy Scanning Council

Elizabeth Jonas, LNP -Co-Chair
Karrie Fairbrother, BSN, CDE, DNC
Maura Flynn, MPP, RN, DNC
Gayle Peterson, RN-BC

HPASC Official Advocacy Toolkit

Advocacy is hard to describe because it’s so very personal. That is because advocacy just means your voice. Whether a local school board or your states senator in D.C., you are the voice that can affect change but if you remain silent, your voice will not be counted for.

The DNA wanted to create a toolkit for all dermatology healthcare providers to be able to affect change where they see fit. We encourage you to look for small wins, these realistic achievements snowball into bigger wins through collaboration and visibility.

We encourage you to find a way to start down a path for change today. Learn about the political process, send an email to a representative, download a calendar of events, volunteer for a committee, join a patient advocacy group. Together, we will have our voices and our patient’s voices heard.

DCAN’s Advocacy Toolkit – DCAN is excited to release its new advocacy toolkit. It’s an extensive guide on how patients and clinicians can overcome payer resistance.