Priorities
Federal policymakers and agencies continue to focus on issues that directly affect DPT programs and students, including:
- Graduate student loan eligibility and affordability
- Cost of attendance considerations, including living expenses
- Workforce pipeline challenges across healthcare professions
- Regulatory and classification decisions impacting professional graduate programs
ACAPT continues to engage with federal legislators and congressional staff to advocate on behalf of academic physical therapy and the future healthcare workforce. Through ongoing meetings and dialogue, we are building and strengthening key relationships on Capitol Hill to ensure policymakers understand the structure, rigor, and public health impact of Doctor of Physical Therapy education.
Establishing and maintaining these relationships is essential to effective advocacy. By serving as a trusted resource and providing timely data, program perspectives, and student experiences, ACAPT helps inform federal decisions that affect student loan policy, workforce development, and patient access to care. These sustained efforts position academic physical therapy to be represented thoughtfully and proactively as federal policy evolves.
Current Congressional Bills Addressing Professional Designation
H.R. 6718 - Professional Student Degree Act
Introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) on December 15, 2025, this bill Proposes to amend the Higher Education Act to clearly define “professional degree” programs, specifically including health professions such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, social work, and others as qualifying for higher federal loan limits. This bill is referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
H.R. 6862
Introduced by Rep. Harder, D-CA, to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to delay, until July 1, 2030, the termination of authority to award certain Federal Direct PLUS loans and the implementation of limits on certain loans for graduate and professional students enrolled at institutions with certain public health designations, and for other purposes.
H.R. 6739 (Rep. Dingell, D-MI), H.R. 6574 (Rep. Kennedy, D-NY), and H.R. 6677 (Rep. Torres, D-NY)
Offer alternative proposals addressing aspects of loan limits and program classification tied to OBBBA’s student aid reform context.
Timeline
Final rule - By July 1, 2026
Loan cap change takes effect - July 1, 2026
Advanced Professional Workforce Alliance (APWA) in the news
Resources
Advocacy Toolkit