On January 30, the Department of Education
released their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which includes a proposed change to the definition of what counts as a professional degree. You can read more on this matter in a
previous blog posting. In the NPRM, CMS proposed to amend the definition of what counts as a professional degree, consistent with the
Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Negotiated Rulemaking Committee recommendation. This means that, if this rule is finalized, certain types of health practitioner degrees, such as those for being a physical therapist or advanced practice nurse, would not be classified as professional degrees, which would adversely impact loan amounts. AHCA/NCAL, along with many other national organizations, will be providing comments to the Education Department on our concerns. Comments on the NPRM are due on March 2nd.
AHCA/NCAL’s
Caregivers for Tomorrow initiative specifically calls for incentive programs to build the next generation of caregivers, including loan forgiveness programs. AHCA/NCAL will continue to work with policymakers on advancing these workforce development efforts and will keep our membership updated on any developments on the loan forgiveness matter.