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
54
55
56
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