Resolution #4

CONDEMNING FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN POLICIES THAT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LICENSED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND SUPPORTING EQUAL TREATMENT OF PROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE DEGREE PROGRAMS

1 WHEREAS:

2 The United States faces critical and worsening shortages of registered nurses, advanced

3 practice registered nurses, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical

4 nurse specialists, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-

5 language pathologists, registered dietitians, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, optometrists,

6 clinical laboratory professionals, health educators, child life specialists, and other licensed and

7 certified healthcare professionals essential to delivering safe, high-quality patient care; and

8 WHEREAS:

9 These healthcare professions require rigorous graduate and professional education,

10 supervised clinical training, national certification and/or state licensure, continuing education, and

11 ongoing professional accountability comparable to other healthcare professions recognized under

12 federal law; and

13 WHEREAS:

14 Recent federal student loan reforms redefined “professional degrees” and established a

15 limited list of qualifying professional programs for purposes of federal student loan borrowing

16 limits and certain loan forgiveness provisions; and

17 WHEREAS:

18 In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Education adopted regulations narrowly defining

19 “professional degrees,” excluding numerous healthcare professions – including advanced nursing

20 and other licensed healthcare disciplines – from eligibility for the higher federal student loan

21 borrowing limits available to other professional programs; and

22 WHEREAS:

23 Healthcare organizations representing advanced practice nurses, physician assistants,

24 physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other professions challenged the rule in

25 federal court, arguing that the Department exceeded its statutory authority and would worsen

26 healthcare workforce shortages by creating unnecessary financial barriers to graduate education;

27 and

28 WHEREAS:

29 On June 24, 2026, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a

30 preliminary order blocking portions of the Department’s professional degree definition, finding

31 that the agency likely exceeded its legal authority by adopting a definition inconsistent with

32 congressional intent; and

33 WHEREAS:

34 Following the court’s order, the Department of Education temporarily restored numerous

35 professional healthcare programs to professional-degree status for purposes of administering

36 federal student loan limits while the litigation proceeds; and

37 WHEREAS:

38 Although the court’s decision provides temporary relief, the underlying litigation remains

39 unresolved, creating continued uncertainty for students pursuing graduate education in essential

40 healthcare professions; and

41 WHEREAS:

42 Financial barriers to graduate healthcare education discourage qualified individuals from

43 entering high-demand professions at a time when healthcare employers nationwide – including

44 hospitals, clinics, public health agencies, and long-term care facilities – continue to experience

45 severe workforce shortages; and

46 WHEREAS:

47 Public policy should support, rather than impede, the education and development of the

48 healthcare workforce necessary to meet the nation’s healthcare needs.

49 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

50 That UNAC/UHCP strongly opposes any federal law, regulation, or administrative action

51 that denies licensed healthcare professional degree programs equal treatment under federal student

52 financial aid policies or creates unnecessary financial barriers to graduate healthcare education;

53 and

57 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

58 That UNAC/UHCP supports the federal court’s decision preventing implementation of the

59 Department of Education’s unlawful narrowing of the professional degree definition and urges the

60 Department to comply fully with the court’s ruling while the litigation proceeds; and

61 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

62 That UNAC/UHCP will work with NUHHCE and AFSCME to lobby Congress and the

63 Department of Education to ensure that students pursuing licensed healthcare professions receive

64 equitable access to federal student loan programs, loan repayment programs, and loan forgiveness

65 opportunities comparable to those available to students in medicine, dentistry, law, and other

66 recognized professional fields; and

67 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

68 That UNAC/UHCP will work with NUHHCE and AFSCME in legal efforts to challenge

69 the Department of Education’s exclusion of healthcare professional degree programs from federal

70 student loan programs so that educational and professional opportunities are available to students

71 who wish to enter healthcare fields in order to help create healthier communities; and

72 BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

73 That UNAC/UHCP will work with NUHHCE and AFSCME, healthcare professional

74 organizations, labor unions, educational institutions, and elected officials to advocate for federal

75 policies that strengthen – not weaken – the healthcare workforce by expanding access to graduate

76 and professional healthcare education.

SUBMITTED BY:
Brian Nitta, PT, President and Delegate
Jordan Shilling, PT, Secretary and Delegate
Acupuncturists & Therapists of Northern California (ATNC)

Matthew Piskura, PT, President and Delegate
United Therapists of Hawaii (UTH)

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION: ADOPTION

A/R COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: ADOPTION

AS PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE