On November 6, the Department of Education’s RISE negotiated rulemaking committee proposed new restrictions on professional student loan access under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Under OBBBA, graduate students borrowing federal loans for the first time after July 1, 2026 will be restricted to $20,500 per year and $100,000 total in federal loans, while professional students will be limited to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. Under the Department’s proposed regulations, PA students, as well as other key professions such as advanced practice nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and others would be excluded from the “professional” category—even though they clearly meet every element of the definition established in the law.

Under OBBBA, professional students are defined as those that prepare students to complete the academic requirements for professional practice, provide education beyond the level of a bachelor’s degree, and lead to professional licensure. PA programs meet that standard in full: they are graduate-level, intensive, and specifically designed to prepare students for national certification and state licensure to practice medicine as part of the health care team. Denying PA students access to professional-level borrowing ignores the structure and purpose of their education as well as congressional intent.

The result would be devastating. According to PAEA’s most recent Student Report, nearly half of PA students borrow more than $100,000 to complete their programs. If students are limited to $20,500 per year in federal loans, most students will face a significant funding gap, forcing many to rely on high-interest private loans or forgo the profession entirely. Fewer PA graduates would mean fewer providers available to meet patient needs, longer wait times, and reduced access to care in communities already struggling with provider shortages. Similar impacts would also fall on nurse practitioner, physical therapy, and other health professions that face the same barriers under the Department’s proposed limitations.

Congress must act to ensure that PA students—and others in comparable clinical professions—retain access to the professional-level borrowing needed to complete their training. We urge you to contact your members of Congress now and tell them to compel the Department of Education to adhere to the definition of professional student included in OBBBA.