Effective July 1, 2026, the Department of Education is lowering the amount of federal student loans available for PT, OT and SLP graduate students in rehabilitation from $50,000 per year to $20,500 per year. When federal borrowing no longer meets graduate program tuition and required living expenses, actual or potential students may be faced with difficult choices: taking on high-interest private debt, delaying or abandoning enrollment, reducing course loads (often difficult with the structure and intensity of these programs), or leaving programs altogether.

We’re asking students, new graduates, and working clinicians to share how these financing gaps may affect or have affected your decision to enter or remain in [CC1] the PT, OT, or SLP profession. Your story helps policymakers understand that loan limits aren’t abstract budget numbers, they shape the future workforce and access to care.

What to consider when sharing your impact:

Career choice & pipeline

• Have you or would you have considered a different career (or a shorter/cheaper program) because you couldn’t finance graduate school?
• Have you considered delaying applying, reapplying later, or choosing a different school solely due to cost/financing?
• Does the decrease in available student loan amounts limit your schooling choices?
• Does higher debt push you toward higher-paying settings instead of underserved communities, pediatrics, geriatrics, rural care, schools, or nonprofits?
• Does higher debt affect you toward work in the non-profit sector in order to access the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, thereby limiting your employment options?
• Does it influence where you can live/work due to repayment pressure?

Out-of-pocket gaps

• How would the gap between federal aid and the actual cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, tech, licensure prep) impact you?
• Does the funding gap affect your ability to pay for rent, childcare, transportation, food, or healthcare?

Work constraints during training

• Will you be forced to work additional hours despite program restrictions, clinical rotations, or safety concerns?

Equity and access

• If you are a first-generation student, from a lower-income background, or without family financial support, does this impact your decision to pursue a graduate degree in a field without the higher student loan availability?