Audiology Faces New Challenges Under Draft Federal Loan Rule: What Comes Next

Member Action Needed Soon!

The U.S. Department of Education’s Advisory Committee has reached consensus on proposed regulations implementing the higher education provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Among the most consequential changes is a revised definition of what constitutes a “professional degree program”—a shift that could dramatically limit federal borrowing for student audiologists beginning as early as July 2026.

Under the draft rule, only students enrolled in one of 11 specifically designated professional degree programs would retain access to the higher federal loan limits traditionally available to health professions. These students could borrow up to $50,000 per year for four years, for a total of $200,000.

All other graduate students—including student audiologists—would be limited to $20,500 per year, with a maximum lifetime cap of $100,000. For a clinical doctoral program that requires extensive coursework and supervised clinical experiences, this represents a significant financial barrier and a substantial departure from long-standing federal policy.

Audiology still clearly meets the Higher Education Act’s definition of a professional field since graduates earn a doctoral degree and provide direct clinical care, but the discipline was not included among the 11 named professions.

In response, the Academy joined the PARCA coalition in submitting a letter (View the PARCA Letter) to the Department of Education urging the inclusion of all affected clinical professions—those that meet the statutory definition of a professional field but were left off the draft list. By signing on, the Academy ensured that audiology and similarly affected professions were represented collectively and with a unified voice during these early, critical stages of rulemaking.

In addition, the Academy is engaging directly with other affected professions to identify additional opportunities for collaboration as we work together to address the Department of Education’s harmful proposed rule.

What to Expect: January–February 2026

The Department’s final rule is expected between January and the end of February 2026. Once released, it will trigger a 30-day public comment period, offering a critical opportunity for students, clinicians, faculty, and programs to weigh in.

This is a critical moment for the audiology community to influence the policy direction. The Department does not count form letters, so they are discarded. That is why personalized comments, including individual stories, data, programmatic impacts, and firsthand experiences, are essential and will shape the outcome.

How You Can Prepare

Although for this specific effort, we are currently in a waiting period, there are concrete steps programs and students can take now:

• Begin drafting personalized messages. Focus on how reduced borrowing limits would directly affect educational access, diversity in the profession, clinical training requirements, and patient care.
• Stay tuned for templates and guidance. The Academy will distribute comment templates once the final rule is released, along with instructions to help members tailor their statements.
• Be prepared for rapid mobilization. As soon as the rule is published, the Academy will activate VoterVoice to alert members to submit comments quickly.

Congressional Engagement Underway

The Academy is also working to educate Congressional champions in hopes they will also weigh in on this issue with the Department to revise the list of designated professional degree programs to include audiology. This strategy—Congressional engagement paired with strong grassroots advocacy and coalition building—will be essential given the limited timeframe and high stakes.

The coming months will determine whether audiology remains recognized as a professional field for federal financial aid purposes. Ensuring the Department understands the clinical nature of the profession—and the consequences of excluding audiology from the list—will require a united effort.

The Academy will continue to keep members updated and will share the next steps as soon as the final rule is issued.