Sign-On Letter to Comment on Federal Regulations: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Reimagining and Improving Student Education [Docket ID: ED-2025-OPE-0944]

Join Our Sign-On Letter to Comment on Federal Regulations: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Reimagining and Improving Student Education [Docket ID: ED-2025-OPE-0944]
The Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) and the Illinois Public Health Nurse Administrators (IPHNA)invites you or your organization to sign on to a letter to the federal Department of Education to indicate opposition to the proposed rulemaking on "professional degrees" (Docket: ED-2025-OPE-0944).

At the end of January 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that significantly restricts the definition of a "professional degree" for federal student loan purposes, limiting higher borrowing capacities to a narrow set of 11specific fields. This rule, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026, originates from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed in July 2025, which established a two-tiered system for federal graduate loans.

Rural communities are likely to feel the impact most acutely, as advanced practice professionals often serve in roles typically filled by physicians in those settings. In addition, limiting borrowing capacity for graduate level degrees could impact the number of nurse educators, having a downstream effect on training programs and the broader pipeline.

Read the full text of the sign-on letter here.

Your advocacy is important. Please add your name and organization to endorse this letter commenting on the proposed federal regulations.

The deadline for sign-on is Friday, February 27 at Noon.

To sign on, please complete the form below.
Full Name (This is for tracking purposes only. Your name will not be listed in the letter).*

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Organization or Affiliation (This is how your organization will be listed on the letter. If you are signing on as an individual, please specify NA)*
Estimated number of employees (If individual sign on, indicate NA)*
Your Email Address (in case we need to contact you later)*
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By selecting yes, I certify I am authorized to sign on behalf of my organization*

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If you prefer to sign on as an individual, please provide your information below.

First NameLast Name
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Join Our Sign-On Letter to Comment on Federal Regulations: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Reimagining and Improving Student Education [Docket ID: ED-2025-OPE-0944]