Urge Congress to Ensure Genetic Counselors Qualify for Necessary Graduate Student Loans

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) eliminated the Graduate PLUS loan program and set new federal loan caps effective July 1, 2026: $20,500 annual / $100,000 aggregate for graduate programs, and a higher $50,000 annual / $200,000 aggregate limit reserved for programs the Department of Education designates as "professional.“ 

The Department's Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) final rule narrowed that designation to a closed list of degrees, excluding genetic counseling and other fields such as architecture, public health, health administration, occupational and physical therapy, naturopathic medicine, athletic training, and mental health counseling. The Advanced Professional Workforce Alliance (APWA) was formed to advocate for the graduate and postsecondary programs left out of that definition and NSGC is a member of that coalition.

As Congress continues to consider solutions to the graduate and professional student loan limit issue, it is critical that lawmakers hear directly from constituents about the need for a broader and more inclusive definition of workforce-critical professions. We urge members to contact lawmakers and encourage them to support legislative proposals that provide comprehensive coverage across the full range of professions. Your stories about student debt burdens, workforce challenges, and barriers to educational access can help build bipartisan support for a more expansive and sustainable solution that strengthens the nation's professional workforce and ensures communities have access to the services they need.