Advocacy

Rep. Lawler Introduces the Professional Student Degree Act

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced the Professional Student Degree Act in the House yesterday. The legislation defines what constitutes a professional degree program, and adds to a list of examples of such programs, including “nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, ministry, social work, audiology, physician assistant, public health, business administration and management, accounting, architecture, secondary education, and special education.” ASAHP supports the Professional Student Degree Act.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) set higher loan caps for professional students, and Department of Education negotiated rulemaking reached consensus on a narrow definition of professional students which excludes most allied health programs.

A press release from Rep. Lawler is available here. The bill text is available here.

Rep. Debbie Dingell Introduces the Clarity in Professional Degree Act

On Tuesday, Rep. Debbie Dingell introduced the Clarity in Professional Degree Act, “legislation aimed at restoring and protecting access for federal student aid after the Department of Education narrowed the definition of ‘professional degree,’ threatening access to loans for students in critical health and education fields.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) set higher loan caps for professional students, and Department of Education negotiated rulemaking reached consensus on a narrow definition of professional students which excludes most allied health programs.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY) each introduced bills on the issue last week, and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced a bill on the issue earlier this week.

More details on Rep. Dingell’s bill are here.

Rep. Ritchie Torres Introduces the Professional Degree Access Restoration Act

On Thursday, Rep. Ritchie Torres Introduced the Professional Degree Access Restoration Act, “legislation to reverse recent reductions in federal loan availability for graduate and professional students. The bill would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to restore the full loan limits that were narrowed” in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA).

The OBBA set higher loan caps for professional students, and Department of Education negotiated rulemaking reached consensus on a narrow definition of professional students which excludes most allied health programs.

More details are here.

Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy Introduces the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals (LEAP) Act

On Wednesday, Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY) introduced the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals (LEAP) Act. The bill ensures graduate students, as defined by the Department, have access to $50,000 annually and $200,000 aggregately and thus the same limits as professional students. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) set higher loan caps for professional students, and Department of Education negotiated rulemaking reached consensus on a narrow definition of professional students which excludes most allied health programs. ASAHP supports the LEAP Act.

A press release from Rep. Kennedy is available here [updated to include the December 17 press release].

Also, Rep. Kennedy led 69 of his colleagues in a letter to the Department of Education regarding the Department’s negotiated rulemaking.

The LEAP Act is available here.

Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education Reaches Consensus

This week the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee concluded its negotiated rulemaking session to address changes to the Higher Education Act included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, reaching consensus on the entire package of 17 proposals by the Department of Education.

The OBBBA set new student loan caps for graduate students, with a higher cap for those pursuing a professional degree. Graduate students would be limited to an up to $100,000 lifetime cap while professional students would be limited to an up to $200,000 lifetime cap. Significant time was spent on ED’s proposal regarding the definition of what constitutes a professional degree. Ultimately, consensus was reached on a list of professional programs that was significantly less expansive than a proposal put forward by Alex Holt, the committee member representing taxpayers and the public interest, which would have included more health professions programs. Holt’s proposal appeared to gain support from all committee members except the Department of Education. Ultimately, negotiators felt reaching consensus was best in order to lock in other concessions they had won from the Department, as without consensus the Department would be free to write its own proposal to be released for public comment.

ASAHP and other organizations called for the Department of Education to classify all professions under CIP Code 51 — Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, and related codes as “professional degrees”, though the committee agreed to a narrower definition. In a letter to the Department and RISE Committee members, ASAHP and other organizations expressed how excluding programs within CIP Code 51 would fragment financial aid eligibility, exacerbate existing shortages, limit access to education for students seeking to serve in critical health roles, and undermine the interprofessional foundation.

Coverage from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here.

ASAHP Joins Letter to the Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Student Loan Caps

ASAHP was one of 28 organizations which joined a letter to the Department of Education’s Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee as it continues its work in Session 2 of negotiated rulemaking to implement the student financial aid provisions of Public Law 119–21, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The OBBBA set new student loan caps for graduate students, with a higher cap for those pursuing a professional degree. ASAHP and the organizations recommend that the Department:

1. Classify all professions under CIP Code 51 — Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, and related codes as “professional degrees.”

2. Define “professional degree” as any degree leading to a professional credential required for entry into practice in that field.

3. Define “professional degree” based on accreditation, curriculum, and alignment with recognized health profession standards, not program length or credit hours. 

4. Recognize the critical workforce impact of any exclusion of health professions degrees, which would disproportionately harm communities in rural and underserved areas.

The letter may be accessed here.

Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education

The Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee will hold its second session November 3-7 from 9am to noon Eastern and 1pm to 4pm Eastern. The committee’s first session was held September 29-October 3. The five-day in person negotiated rulemaking session will address changes to the Higher Education Act included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. These include the phase out of graduate and professional PLUS loans, the establishment of new annual loan limits for graduate and professional students and parent borrowers, the simplification of student loan repayment plans, institutional flexibility to apply lower annual limits for borrowers for selected programs of study, modifications to loan rehabilitation, and more. More details may be accessed here.  Registration for the session is here.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act set new student loan caps for graduate students, with a higher cap for those pursuing a professional degree. ASAHP and other organizations has reccommended that the Department:

1. Classify all professions under CIP Code 51 — Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, and related codes as “professional degrees.”

2. Define “professional degree” as any degree leading to a professional credential required for entry into practice in that field.

3. Define “professional degree” based on accreditation, curriculum, and alignment with recognized health profession standards, not program length or credit hours. 

4. Recognize the critical workforce impact of any exclusion of health professions degrees, which would disproportionately harm communities in rural and underserved areas.

ASAHP Joins Joint Letter to the Department of Education Regarding Student Loan Repayment

ASAHP joined other organizations in a letter to the Department of Education expressing concern that that the regulatory framework for loan repayment programs under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) may not adequately reflect the realities of the health professions workforce. The organizations urge the Department to ensure that the health professions workforce is considered a single, integrated workforce when determining loan eligibility criteria. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act set new student loan caps for graduate students, with a higher cap for those pursuing a professional degree.

The letter may be accessed here.

ASAHP Joins ACE Letter to Congressional Leadership on Funding Safeguards

ASAHP joined dozens of other organizations in a ACE-led letter to Congressional leadership and appropriators regarding appropriations safeguards, as Congress considers FY 26 funding. The letter urges Congress to ensure that all funds allocated for FY 2026 be spent by the administration as intended, which may require detailed legislative language and other procedural safeguards.

The letter may be accessed here.

New America Webinar on How Indirect Cost Reform Will Affect University-Industry R&D Partnerships

On September 22 from 2:30-3:30pm Eastern, New America will hold a webinar titled, “ How Indirect Cost Reform Will Affect University-Industry R&D Partnerships”. The webinar will examine the concern about indirect costs and the Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model, a proposed approach to reform indirect cost governance and improve transparency, consistency, and fairness in calculating and covering expenses.

More details may be accessed here.

House Subcommittee Advances HRSA Title VII Reauthorization Legislation

On Wednesday, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health advanced reauthorizations of HRSA Title VII and Title VIII workforce development programs. In the bill, Title VII health professions education workforce development programs would be reauthorized through FY 2030.

More details are here, and the Subcommittee’s Title VII bill is here.

House Committee Advances FY 26 Labor-HHS Funding Bill

In a mark up which concluded early Wednesday morning, the House Appropriations Committee advanced the FY 26 Labor-HHS bill 35-28 in a party-line vote. According to Republicans, the draft fiscal spending bill proposes a 7% cut in discretionary spending below the FY25 enacted level, while Democrats note it is a 11% cut. The bill includes $108 billion for HHS, a roughly $7 billion cut from FY 25 levels., and includes $67 billion for the Department of Education, a roughly $12 billion cut from FY 25 levels. Democrats strongly opposed the bill. Subcommittee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) remarked that Republicans know this bill will not pass on the floor due to the size and scope of the proposed cuts. In opening remarks, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05) shared, “This bill, whatever we do, will be largely dictated by what the Senate can do.” Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04) noted, “With the President’s leadership, we have taken a critical look at every program and in several cases had to make hard decisions on some ‘nice to have’ programs.” More details may be accessed here, here, and here.

House Appropriations Subcommittee to Mark Up FY 26 Labor-HHS Bill

Today at 5pm Eastern, the House Appropriation Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee will mark up the FY 26 Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

According to the Committee, the Labor-HHS bill provides, “a total discretionary allocation of $184.5 billion, which is $13.7 billion (7%) below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level.” The bill provides a discretionary total of $108 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is $7 billion (6%) below the FY25 enacted level. The Committee would provide a total of $7.1 billion for HRSA, a decrease of $866 million below the FY 2025 level. This recommendation would include $1.4 billion for Health Workforce training, a decrease of $37 million below the FY 2025 level. The bill would provide a total of $7.1 billion for HRSA, $866 million below the FY 2025 level. The bill would provide $1.4 billion for Health Workforce training, a decrease of $37 million below the FY 2025 level.

The bill provides a discretionary total of $67 billion to the Department of Education, which is $12 billion (15%) below the FY25 enacted level. The bill maintains funding for Pell Grants at the discretionary maximum award level of $6,335, which when combined with mandatory funding under current law would continue to support a total maximum award of $7,395, which is level funding.

A Full Committee markup is expected as soon as next week.

The Subcommittee markup may be viewed here. The bill and Republican Committee summary may be found here. Bill summaries from the Committee Democrats may be found here and here.

ASAHP Joins Joint Comments to the Department of Education Regarding Student Loan Caps

ASAHP and 39 other organizations submitted joint comments to the Department of Education’s (ED) Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee as they begin their work on the negotiated rulemaking to implement the student financial aid provisions under Public Law 119–21, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The organizations urged that ED should adopt a clear and inclusive regulatory definition of “professional degree programs” that encompasses any master’s or doctoral degree education generally required for licensure or certification in health professions. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act set new student loan caps for graduate students, with a higher cap for those pursuing a professional degree.

The comments may be accessed here.

ASAHP Joins Joint Letter Urging Congress to Reauthorize HRSA Title VII Health Professions Programs

ASAHP and 66 other organizations urged Congress to swiftly consider and advance legislation that would reauthorize the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs, which are set to expire at the end of fiscal year 2025 (September 30, 2025).

The joint letter to Congressional Committee leaders may be accessed here.

Department of Education Publishes Proposed Rule On Public Service Loan Forgiveness with 30 Day Comment Period

On Friday, the Department of Education issued its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to exclude organizations that engage in activities that are illegal from being qualifying employers. The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on August 18 and has a 30-day comment period. Comments can be submitted through regulations.gov. ED expects to finalize the rule by November 1, 2025, so it can go into effect July 1, 2026.

FY 26 Labor-HHS bill Advances Senate Appropriations Committee

The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up two of its FY 26 appropriations bills on Thursday, including its $200 billion Labor-HHS bill, which is $1 billion below FY 25 enacted funding levels (according to FY 25 figures from the Congressional Research Service). Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) noted that with the passage of Labor-HHS bill, eight bipartisan bills have moved through her Committee, comprising 87% of the discretionary budget. The Senate Labor-HHS bill moved through the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 26-3. Please find links to the bill text, Majority summary, Minority summary and Committee Report.

The Senate Committee’s bill allocates $79 billion for the Department of Education (ED), whereas President Trump’s budget proposal had requested $66.7 billion for ED. The Senate bill also keeps the maximum Pell grant award at $7,395, despite the White House budget request to lower it to $5,710.

Vice Chair Patty Murray’s (D-WA) remarks highlighted the bipartisan work done by the Committee on the bill, which rejected many of the proposed cuts by the Administration. She also highlighted how the bill rejects the Administration’s proposed cuts to Pell Grants, and increases NIH by $400 million. 

The next step in the appropriations process will occur when the House returns to Washington after Labor Day with a markup of the House Labor-HHS bill in Subcommittee on September 4thand in full Committee on September 9th. It is a near certainty that a Continuing Resolution will be needed to keep the government running after September 30th, though the threat of a government shutdown continues to loom if the Administration and Congressional Democrats cannot agree on the terms of a CR.

Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is here.

Department of Education Announces Negotiated Rulemaking on Higher Education

The Department of Education announced  yesterday that it will hold two negotiated rulemaking sessions on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s higher education provisions and other Administration priorities.

The Department will hold a virtual public hearing on Thursday, August 7.

The Department will create two committees. The Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee will address federal student loan-related changes, including phase-out of graduate and professional PLUS Loans, establishment of new loan limits and lifetime borrowing caps, the simplification of student loan repayment plans, and more. The Committee will meet September 29 – October 3 and November 3-7, 2025.

The Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee will address Workforce Pell, institutional and programmatic accountability and other issues. The Committee will meet December 8-12, 2025, and January 5-9, 2026.

If the Department publishes final rules by November 1, 2026, the rules will go into effect July 1, 2027.

The announcement is here. Registration for the virtual public hearing is here. More details, including information on submitting comments and committee member nominations are here.

House Appropriations Committee Releases FY 26 Subcommittee Allocations

This week, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) released FY 26 House subcommittee allocations for the twelve appropriations bills. The allocations were approved 35 to 26 in a party line vote in the House Appropriations Committee yesterday. House appropriators are writing their bills to a nearly $1.6 trillion discretionary topline, with about $892.5 billion for defense and $705.6 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. The Labor-HHS bill’s allocation is $184.491 billion. 

The House’s proposed discretionary funding level is almost three percent below the FY 25 level passed in March. Defense spending is proposed to be level funded, and the proposed nondefense discretionary level would be nearly six percent below the FY 25 level, with proposed cuts of $44.7 billion. The House’s proposed level for nondefense discretionary spending is significantly higher than what the White House has called for, as President Trump’s FY 26 budget proposed a 23 percent cut to nondefense discretionary spending. 

The Labor-HHS bill was previously scheduled to be marked up in subcommittee on July 21 and in full committee on July 24, but the House cancelled one week of session earlier this month which pushed back the Committee’s work. The House Labor-HHS bill text is now expected to be released and taken up in early September, when Congress returns from August recess. The House Labor-HHS bill is tentatively set to be marked up in subcommittee on Thursday, September 4 and marked up in full committee on Tuesday, September 9. 

The Senate has not released its full subcommittee allocations, but is expected, like last year, to propose higher spending levels than the House. A Labor-HHS markup in the Senate Appropriations Committee has not been scheduled at this time.