Warner, Kaine Press Department of Education on Decision to Limit Student Loans to Health Care Workers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, (both D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon pressing her on the Department of Education's decision to propose student financial aid provisions that alter the definition of "professional degree" to only include doctorate-level degrees. This rule would limit the amount that many health care workers who require long, costly programs for professional licensure could borrow. At a time when Virginia - like the rest of the country - is facing a health care workforce crisis and is in need of tens of thousands of health care workers, this cap on student loan borrowing does not reflect the needs of the health care system.

"We write to raise concern over the Department of Education's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement the student financial aid provisions included in Public Law 119-21, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While we have broad concerns regarding the elimination of the Federal Direct Grad PLUS loan program and the implementation of new annual and lifetime student loan limits in Public Law 119-21, we write today with concern specifically regarding the proposal to exclude certain critical post-baccalaureate health care degrees from the regulatory definition of 'professional degree.' This decision caps student loan borrowing limits for these professionals at a lower threshold than those included in the proposed definition at a time when Virginia and our country face a health care workforce crisis that worsens by the day. We urge you to recognize this health emergency and broaden the definition of 'professional degree' to ensure it reflects the reality of our health care system and doesn't worsen a crisis that already exists in all corners of our country," wrote the senators.

Republicans' budget megabill, which was passed last year without a single Democratic vote, states that students earning "professional degrees" may borrow up to $50,000 annually and $200,000 aggregate in student loans, yet those earning "graduate degrees" are subject to borrowing limits of $20,500 annually and $100,000 aggregate. Under this law and the Department of Education's proposed interpretation of the term "professional degree," student financial aid would be limited for advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, social workers, and more, despite the expertise of these health care workers being just as critical as the expertise of doctors and dentists.

The senators stressed, "Virginia, consistent with trends nationwide, is facing historic ongoing health care workforce shortages. As of July 2024, all 133 localities in Virgina are federally designated as behavioral health shortage areas and 96 localities are designated as primary care shortage areas, with 44% of neighborhoods lacking acceptable access to primary care services. According to a study by George Mason University's Center for Health Workforce, Virginia is in need of over 17,000 more registered nurses, 3,700 more physical therapists, and 2,400 more mental health and substance use disorder social workers to meet the health care needs of our constituents. If current trends persist, these shortages in the nursing, primary care, and behavioral health workforce are set to increase in Virginia. This problem is not unique to our Commonwealth; nationwide, it is projected that 1.2 million new nurses will be needed by 2030 to address existing health care workforce shortages."

Every county in Southwest Virginia, with the exception of Pulaski, Montgomery, and Roanoke counties, is a designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The region needs more than 860 nurses, 200 physical therapists, and 130 postsecondary health specialties teachers. Additionally, Hampton Roads need more than 2,800 nurses, 934 physical therapists, 437 mental health and substance use disorder social workers, and 131 postsecondary health specialties teachers. Central Virginia also needs more than 800 nurses.

"Cutting off access to adequate federal loan amounts will needlessly exacerbate the rapidly worsening workforce crisis impacting Virginians and Americans across the country. Furthermore, there is no evidence that individuals in certain professions default more often than those in other professions, raising the question of why there is the need to limit borrowing by profession. In fact, the degrees being excluded from the RISE Committee's definition of 'professional degree' are amongst some of the fastest growing jobs in the country. Average job growth is projected to be 3 percent in the next ten years; in contrast, job growth is projected to be 11 percent for physical therapists and audiologists, 14 percent for occupational therapists, 19 percent for speech-language pathologists, 20 percent for physician assistants, and over 40 percent for advanced nursing degree jobs. Now is the time to bolster support for individuals training to enter our health care workforce, not make it harder for them to afford to pursue degrees in nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and other key health care professions desperately needed in our communities," the senators added.

Warner and Kaine concluded the letter by urging the Department of Education to expand the definition of "professional degree" to include a more comprehensive list of post-baccalaureate health care degrees. If health care professionals and trainees are blocked access to necessary financial support, Virginia and the nation's health care workforce crisis will only worsen.

During a recent roundtable at Virginia Health Catalyst in Glen Allen, Sen. Warner heard directly from Virginians, health care providers, and stakeholders about the health care workforce crisis and the added stress that this new student financial aid provision will place on the health care system.

This letter is endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Virginia, National Association of Hispanic Nurses DC Metro Chapter, Philippine Nurses Association of Virginia Inc (PNAVA), Society of Southeastern Virginia Oncology Nursing Society (SEVONS), The Speech Language Hearing Association of Virginia, Urologic Nurses and Associates Chapter 111 (SUNA), UVA Health, Virginia Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (VaCNS), Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing (VACN), Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists, Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners, Virginia Nurses Association, and Virginia Occupational Therapy Association.

"As we consider the critical healthcare needs of our Commonwealth and country, APTA Virginia is deeply concerned by the Department of Education's proposed rule to exclude the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from the 'professional degree' classification. At a time when our profession is facing a 9.5% vacancy rate in outpatient physical therapy, nearly double the national average of vacancies in other professions, limiting the financial resources for these doctoral students will exacerbate our provider shortages, increase patient wait times, and decrease patient outcomes. If the DPT were to be classified as a professional degree with a $50,000 annual limit, 90% of our nation's programs can continue training the workforce we desperately need," said APTA Virginia President Emily J. Hawkins, PT, DPT, PhD.

"The Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia joins our state legislators and health care partners in expressing strong support for expanding access to federal financial aid and loan programs for students pursuing degrees in health care professions. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are vital members of Virginia's health care system-supporting individuals across the lifespan with communication, hearing, and swallowing needs-yet both professions face growing difficulties in recruitment and retention due to educational costs and limited loan access. Ensuring equitable access to federal financial support for these programs is essential to rebuilding and sustaining Virginia's health care workforce-and to safeguarding the communication health of our communities," said Melanie-Joy H. Dorn MA CCC-SLP , Vice President of Professional and Government Affairs for The Speech Language Hearing Association.

"UVA Health is grateful for Sens. Warner and Kaine's support in urging the Department of Education to broaden the types of health care professions eligible for higher federal loan limits. As one of the Commonwealth's major education and training sites for the next generation of health care professionals, UVA Health believes failing to recognize this larger advance-trained and interprofessional healthcare workforce structure risks undermining both the future availability of qualified healthcare providers and broader long-term healthcare system viability," said Mitchell H. Rosner, MD, MACP, FRCP, CEO of UVA Health and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs for the University of Virginia.

"Excluding advanced practice registered nursing programs from the Department of Education's list of professional degrees would further disadvantage already underfunded nursing programs, strain faculty capacity, and make advanced education less attainable - particularly for the lifelong learners who advance through every level of nursing and pursue terminal degrees while balancing other responsibilities outside of advancing their education. While we support fiscally responsible policies that make healthcare education more affordable across all disciplines, this proposal would have the opposite effect on advanced practice nursing and ultimately limit Virginians' access to care. We urge the Department to reverse this exclusion," said Dr. Alysia E. Pack, President, Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners.

"The Virginia Nurses Association urges that graduate nursing programs be included in the federal 'professional degree' category so that students pursuing advanced nursing degrees are eligible for the full $200,000 loan cap. Ensuring equitable access to these loan opportunities is essential to sustaining the pipeline of advanced practice registered nurses, nurse leaders, and nurse faculty. Excluding graduate nursing students from this category would limit opportunities for those seeking to serve in these critical roles and, over time, weaken the nursing workforce that supports the health of every community in the Commonwealth," said Virginia Nurses Association Chief Executive Officer Lindsey Cardwell, MSN, RN, NPD-BC.

"The Virginia Occupational Therapy Association shares Senator Warner's concern that excluding occupational therapy from the definition of a professional degree will worsen workforce shortages and limit patient access to essential services. Occupational therapists are graduate-educated, licensed healthcare providers who support Virginians of all ages and abilities in participating in daily life activities, including essential personal care tasks, education, work, and health management. Occupational therapy plays a critical role in improving outcomes and reducing reliance on more costly levels of care. Maintaining equitable access to federal student loan support is essential to preparing the next generation of providers that Virginia's health system and communities depend on," said Savannah Howe, President of the Virginia Occupational Therapy Association.

Read the full letter here or below:

Dear Secretary McMahon:

We write to raise concern over the Department of Education's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement the student financial aid provisions included in Public Law 119-21, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While we have broad concerns regarding the elimination of the Federal Direct Grad PLUS loan program and the implementation of new annual and lifetime student loan limits in Public Law 119-21, we write today with concern specifically regarding the proposal to exclude certain critical post-baccalaureate health care degrees from the regulatory definition of "professional degree." This decision caps student loan borrowing limits for these professionals at a lower threshold than those included in the proposed definition at a time when Virginia and our country face a health care workforce crisis that worsens by the day. We urge you to recognize this health emergency and broaden the definition of "professional degree" to ensure it reflects the reality of our health care system and doesn't worsen a crisis that already exists in all corners of our country.

As you know, Public Law 119-21 states that students earning defined "professional degrees" may borrow up to $50,000 annually and $200,000 aggregate in student loans. In contrast, students earning "graduate degrees" under P.L. 119-21 definition are subject to borrowing limits of only $20,500 annually and $100,000 aggregate. Current regulations include a number of examples of professional health care degrees: Pharmacy (PharmD), Dentistry (DDS or DMD), Medicine (MD/DO), Optometry (OD), Podiatry (DPM), Chiropractic (DC). These regulations also say the definition includes the above but should not be considered an exhaustive list.

During the negotiated rulemaking process completed in November 2025, the RISE Committee proposed a definition of "professional degree" that is inconsistent with the realities of the health care workforce. On January 30, 2026, the Department of Education formally released the NPRM on the proposed change. Our health care system relies on the specialized training and expertise of so many provider types, including ones practicing independently. By focusing on doctoral-level degrees, the Department's interpretation of the term "professional degree" leaves out advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, social workers, and other degrees requiring lengthy, costly programs for professional licensure. In addition, their training is not generally considered a stepping stone for further training, and their expertise is no less critical in our health care system than those of doctors and dentists.

Virginia, consistent with trends nationwide, is facing historic ongoing health care workforce shortages. As of July 2024, all 133 localities in Virgina are federally designated as behavioral health shortage areas and 96 localities are designated as primary care shortage areas, with 44% of neighborhoods lacking acceptable access to primary care services. According to a study by George Mason University's Center for Health Workforce, Virginia is in need of over 17,000 more registered nurses, 3,700 more physical therapists, and 2,400 more mental health and substance use disorder social workers to meet the health care needs of our constituents. If current trends persist, these shortages in the nursing, primary care, and behavioral health workforce are set to increase in Virginia. This problem is not unique to our Commonwealth; nationwide, it is projected that 1.2 million new nurses will be needed by 2030 to address existing health care workforce shortages.

Cutting off access to adequate federal loan amounts will needlessly exacerbate the rapidly worsening workforce crisis impacting Virginians and Americans across the country. Furthermore, there is no evidence that individuals in certain professions default more often than those in other professions, raising the question of why there is the need to limit borrowing by profession. In fact, the degrees being excluded from the RISE Committee's definition of "professional degree" are amongst some of the fastest growing jobs in the country. Average job growth is projected to be 3 percent in the next ten years; in contrast, job growth is projected to be 11 percent for physical therapists and audiologists, 14 percent for occupational therapists, 19 percent for speech-language pathologists, 20 percent for physician assistants, and over 40 percent for advanced nursing degree jobs. Now is the time to bolster support for individuals training to enter our health care workforce, not make it harder for them to afford to pursue degrees in nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and other key health care professions desperately needed in our communities.

We strongly urge the Department of Education to further expand the definition of "professional program" to include a more comprehensive list of programs. The health care workforce disaster will only worsen if our health care professionals and trainees are blocked from access to necessary financial support. Nurses, speech and language pathologists, physician assistants, and other health providers are paramount to keeping our system afloat. It is critical that all post-baccalaureate health care degrees are equally protected to the greatest extent possible from the negative impacts of Public Law 119-21.

Thank you for your consideration of this request and we look forward to your response.

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