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Help ensure occupational therapy programs are recognized as professional degrees

Abe Saffer, MPM

Background

As was mentioned on AOTA’s webinar on the impact of H.R. 1, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, major changes were made to federal student loan policy. Among its sweeping reforms was the elimination of the Grad PLUS Loan program for graduate students. This means, going forward, graduate-level OT students will only be able to rely on the Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program to help pay for their master’s or doctorate OT degree. Additionally, unless OT programs are formally recognized as “professional degree programs” in upcoming Department of Education (ED) regulations, our students could face steep barriers to funding their education.

HR 1 also placed caps on Direct Unsubsidized Loan, and not all graduate programs are treated the same.

  • If occupational therapy is recognized as a “professional degree program,” students can borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a $200,000 lifetime cap.
  • If it’s not, they will be limited to $20,500 annually, with a total lifetime cap of only $100,000.

This isn’t just about financial aid. It’s about workforce sustainability, access to care, and ensuring that future occupational therapy practitioners aren’t forced out of the field before they even begin.

Why Now?

The Department of Education is seeking public comments as part of its Negotiated Rulemaking Committee process to determine which degrees will qualify as “professional.” This is the time for your program to be heard. OT programs across the country are in a unique position to demonstrate how they meet all the criteria outlined in the law.

As the profession sees decreases in applications while the demand increases, any policy that adds a barrier to becoming an occupational therapy practitioner could have serious, national consequences.

What You Can Do

The U.S. Department of Education is now accepting public comments as it begins writing the new regulations. AOTA is urging every OT program to submit a short letter supporting the explicit inclusion of occupational therapy on the list of professional degrees.

Your voice matters. The number of comments ED receives is just as important as the content of the arguments those letters make. Join AOTA’s Policy Team as we advocate with ED to include OT on the list. Not only does it strengthen the advocacy efforts on this one issue, it strengthens our ability to advocate on future issues.

We’ve Made It Easy

AOTA has prepared a short guide on everything you need to submit comment letters that includes:

  • The background and context of the issue
  • Key points you can include in your letter
  • A customizable comment letter template
  • Simple step-by-step submission instructions

Let’s Make Sure OT Is on the List

This is our opportunity to protect student access to federal aid, sustain the OT workforce, and ensure our profession is treated equitably alongside other healthcare fields.

Please take a few minutes to submit your program’s comment before the August 25 deadline. Together, we can make sure occupational therapy is fully recognized for the essential, professional discipline it is.

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