Congressional Democrats Pursue Congressional Review Act Repeal of Department of Education Rule on Graduate Federal Loan Programs

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Rep. John Mannion (D-NY), Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) are pursuing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal the Department of Education’s finalized rule on graduate student loan caps. ASAHP has endorsed the resolution, as has the Advanced Professional Workforce Alliance (APWA), of which ASAHP is a member. A press release is available here and text of the CRA is here.

Department of Education Issues Updated Draft Accreditation Regulations, Negotiated Rulemaking Resumes Next Week

This week the Department of Education issued new draft regulations in advance of the second and final session of the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) negotiated rulemaking to be held Monday through Friday of next week. The committee will vote on the proposed regulations as part of next week’s session. More details are here and the updated draft regulations are here.

A Conversation with Elizabeth Swann, PhD, Professor and Director of Interprofessional Integration, Nova Southeastern University and organizer of the ASAHP 2026 Regional Summit

Elizabeth Swann has worked as a healthcare educator since 1997. In addition to her role at Nova Southeastern, she serves as the Chair for ASAHP’s Interprofessional Committee which is organizing this year’s Regional Summit. In the 30 years Swann has worked in Health Professions, she has seen huge changes and implementation in IPEC core competencies with a focus on interprofessional integration and clinical readiness.

 

She began her career in athletic training education working alongside a wide range of specialists and student-athletes each week. Early on, she assumed that this kind of interprofessional collaboration was standard across all professions, but as her career progressed, she realized that was not always the case. Since then, she has dedicated her work to preparing graduates to succeed in today’s complex healthcare environment - an approach that closely reflects the mission and priorities of ASAHP.

Deadline Extension: 2026 ASAHP Annual Conference Call for Abstracts

New deadline extension for Call for Abstracts. On October 27-29, the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions will hold its 2026 Annual Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville, Tennessee. This year's conference theme is “Harmonizing the Future of Health Professions Education.” Interested parties are invited to contribute to the program by submitting abstracts to be presented in-person.

Department of Education Releases Final Rule on Graduate and Professional Student Loan Caps

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education released its final rule defining “professional” degree programs and establishing new federal student loan caps. The rule was published today in the Federal Register. Effective July 1, the rule will significantly limit eligibility for the highest federal student borrowing levels to 11 designated fields, affecting access to graduate and professional education nationwide.

Students in these designated “professional” programs including pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology, and clinical psychology, may borrow up to $50,000 annually with a $200,000 lifetime cap. All other graduate programs are reclassified as “graduate” programs for federal loan purposes and are limited to $20,500 annually and $100,000 in total federal borrowing, regardless of discipline or workforce demand.

The rule has significant implications for health professions education and for allied health programs. A primary concern is that qualified students would be less likely to apply, enroll, and graduate from health professions education programs due to concerns around financing the cost of attendance. These concerns are particularly significant given the constraints and uncertainty associated with the private loan market. These changes will also have negative downstream impacts on the health workforce pipeline, exacerbating current and projected workforce shortages as health professions are among the fastest growing professions in the country.

ASAHP has voiced our concerns with the rule throughout the rulemaking process. ASAHP submitted comments on the proposed rule to the Department of Education and joined with our health professions education peers by submitting joint comments to the department from coalitions including the Advanced Professional Workforce Alliance (APWA), Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP), and the American Council on Education (ACE). 

ASAHP will continue to review the final rule, monitor its implementation and engage with federal policymakers to convey its deleterious impact on health professions education, student access, and the health workforce. We will also continue our work with federal policymakers as well as our coalition partners to assess the impacts of the rule and plan our collective next steps. We will keep you informed of any developments. 

A press release from the Department of Education with a link to the final rule may be accessed here along with their fact sheet here. A statement from House Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) is here and from Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) here. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is here. 

Inside Higher Ed: Loan Limits Finalized, but Litigation Looms

The Trump administration finalized regulations Thursday that will put in place new loan limits for postbaccalaureate degree programs, which could potentially limit college access for hundreds of thousands of students and weaken pipelines for several high-demand health-care professions. Multiple trade associations quickly announced plans to challenge the rule in federal court.

Read the full article here.

Deadline Extension: 2026 ASAHP Annual Conference Call for Abstracts

New deadline extension for Call for Abstracts. On October 27-29, the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions will hold its 2026 Annual Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville, Tennessee. This year's conference theme is “Harmonizing the Future of Health Professions Education.” Interested parties are invited to contribute to the program by submitting abstracts to be presented in-person.

ASAHP’s 2026 Regional Summit Connects Educators and Health Care Industry Stakeholders to Strengthen Workforce Readiness

The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced today that its sixth annual Regional Summit will take place across the country on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The theme of the 2026 Summit, From Classrooms to Care Teams: Workforce-Ready Graduates, focuses on identifying innovative strategies to strengthen collaboration between the healthcare industry and academic partners, ensuring students are prepared for the workforce upon graduation. ASAHP’s Regional Summit convenes academic leaders, faculty, and healthcare stakeholders representing diverse roles, disciplines, and organizations to exchange knowledge and best practices, with the shared goals of preparing workforce-ready graduates, enhancing the patient care experience, and advancing clinician well-being and health equity.

Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Accreditation Holds First Sesson of Negotiations

The first session of the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) negotiated rulemaking committee was held this week. The second and final session of negotiations will be held May 18-22 and will include a vote on the proposed regulations. More details are here. A 151-page initial draft of the Department of Education’s proposed regulations is here. A 9-page summary from the Department is here. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is here, here, and here. Coverage from the Chronicle of Higher Education is here and here. New America held an event last week, “Accreditation 101: A Fireside Chat on How Colleges Are Measured”. It contains discussion of the negotiated rulemaking and is available here. 

Department of Education Releases Proposed Rule on Accountability

Today, the Department of Education issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to establish a postsecondary education accountability framework. The new accountability measures stem from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and negotiators narrowly reached consensus on the package of proposed regulations in January. The proposed rule will officially publish to the Federal Register on Monday, and the NPRM will be open for a 30-day public comment period, with comments due no later than May 20. A press release is here and the NPRM is here.

On Thursday, May 14 at 9:15am Eastern, AEI will host an in-person and online event titled, “Can Accountability Strengthen Higher Education’s Economic Promise?” Participants include Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent and Senior Adviser, Office of the Under Secretary, Jason Delisle, as well as former Biden Administration Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. More details, including a registration link, are available here.

ASAHP and APWA Submit Testimony to Senate Appropriations Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee

ASAHP joined the Advanced Professional Workforce Alliance (APWA), of which ASAHP is a member, in a submitting written outside witness testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor-HHS, urging the Departments of Education and Labor to report on the impacts of federal student loan limits on programs not classified as “professional.” APWA has also submitted suggested report language to Congress.

HPNEC Coalition Releases Statement on the President's Budget Request for FY 27

Today the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC), of which ASAHP is a member, issued a statement expressing concern with proposed cuts to critical Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs included in the fiscal year (FY) 2027 President’s Budget Request.

The statement notes that, “The President’s FY 2027 budget released on April 3, 2026, once again recommends a massive $1 billion proposed cut to health workforce programs under the proposed Administration for a Healthy America. Particularly concerning is the proposed elimination of 14 existing Title VII health professions and VIII nursing workforce development programs currently administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). If enacted, these cuts would limit support for essential investments in programs that play an irreplaceable role in shaping, educating, and bolstering the health workforce at all stages of the continuum. As communities face shortages of health professionals, these devastating cuts would result in a significant and detrimental impact on the health of communities across the country and limit access to care for patients nationwide.”

HPNEC urges Congress to reject any funding cuts to the HRSA Title VII and VIII programs proposed in the President’s FY 27 budget request and to bolster support for programs that address health workforce shortages in critical areas of need and ensure access to care across the nation.

The statement is available here.

Senate Labor-HHS Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on the President's FY 27 Budget Request for HHS

On Tuesday, April 21 at 2:30pm Eastern, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor-HHS will hold a hearing on the President’s FY 27 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify. The hearing may be viewed here.

Sec. Kennedy will testify at seven hearings over the course of a week, including the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommitee on Labor-HHS on April 16 here, the House Ways & Means Committee on April 16 here, and the House Education and Workforce on April 17 here.

U.S. Department of Education Proposed Accreditation Overhaul

The U.S. Department of Education released draft regulations Monday aimed at reshaping the college accreditation system and addressing college affordability. The proposals reflect priorities set by an executive order by President Trump and would simplify the process for new accreditors through the U.S Department of Education, institutions to switch accreditors, and accreditation requirements to not include diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Under the draft rules, colleges must be accredited by a federally recognized agency for students to remain eligible for federal financial aid. The proposal will also shorten the timelines for new accrediting agencies and weaken bureaucratic demands on member colleges. Accreditors would face new responsibilities, such as measures to ensure compliance with state and federal law, with specific emphasis toward intellectual diversity and ideological neutrality under the First Amendment. Such measures may conflict with the Higher Education Act, which limits the Department's authority over private accrediting organizations.

The new proposals are expected to draw opposition from institutions and accreditors across the political spectrum. One proposal setting requirements for colleges to presume general-education credit transferability may draw special criticism for weakening institutional autonomy. The negotiated rulemaking Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization Committee (AIM) will meet to discuss the draft regulations for next week on April 13-17 and May 18–22. A summary the draft regulations can be found here.

Read more on this on Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed.

2026 ASAHP Regional Summit - Pre-Summit Survey

The ASAHP Summit brings together health professions educators and industry partners committed to advancing interprofessional education and graduate preparation. To ensure that summit content, discussions, and activities reflect the priorities and perspectives of participants, we invite you to complete this brief pre-summit survey. Your responses — regarding your professional background, experience with the IPEC competencies, and expectations for graduate preparation — will directly shape our shared agenda. All responses are confidential and will be reported in aggregate only. We appreciate your time and thoughtful input.

Participate in the survey here
Register for the Summit