The Department of Education has just released its proposed changes to federal student loan programs.
As the proposal is currently written physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physical therapy, and audiology are no longer considered professional programs would be ineligible for future financial support available to other healthcare professions that require well beyond a bachelors’ degree.
To teach nursing, a master’s degree is usually the minimum and a doctorate is more commonly required at university levels. A nurse practitioner needs two to fours years of additional training beyond a bachelors degree. A physical therapist typically studies for three years in a Doctorate program after receiving a bachelor’s degree, and so does an audiologist.
Can your community stand to see the pipeline of talent in these professions shrink?
Healthcare institutions are part of your business retention/expansion portfolio and your quality of place.
As someone who has tracked the healthcare workforce for years, I urge you to make your voices heard. We are not talking about occupations that are “para-professional” in terms of the years of training required. We are not talking about whether or not these professions are respected. This is about whether or not people who we need in these fields will have the ability to do what is expected of them in order to serve their communities.
The 30 day public comment period will open soon.