Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – 2/10/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) hosted a bipartisan congressional briefing on Capitol Hill focused on the Department of Education’s narrow implementation of graduate and professional student loan limits. Rep. Lawler’s Professional Student Degree Act was the main topic of discussion. His targeted legislative fix will ensure that advanced degree programs requiring rigorous training and licensure are treated fairly under federal student loan law.

The briefing, convened in partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE), brought together bipartisan representatives of members of Congress, higher education leaders, professional associations, and policy experts to examine how recent regulatory decisions could restrict access to graduate and professional education in workforce-critical fields.

“If a degree requires advanced training and licensure to serve the public, it should qualify as a professional degree. Nurses, teachers, therapists, social workers, and other essential professionals are being treated differently from doctors and lawyers. That makes no sense, and it neglects Congressional intent,” said Congressman Lawler.

“The American Council on Education is proud to endorse H.R. 6718, the Professional Student Degree Act. This bill would ensure that students in numerous academic programs that prepare them for highly-skilled, in-demand professions have the federal financial aid they need to earn their degrees. Expanding the definition of professional student will ensure that students can enter critical fields such as nursing, education and social work, among others. We thank Rep. Lawler and his colleagues for this bill and encourage Congress to pass it quickly,” said the American Council on Education. 

“We are grateful to Congressman Lawler for his leadership and appreciate his efforts to ensure federal policy supports the health care workforce patients depend on. The Department of Education’s proposed rule would have real consequences for patients by making it harder for future nurse practitioners to complete their education and enter the workforce. NPs are essential to ensuring communities across the nation have access to timely, high-quality care,” said AANP President Valerie Fuller, PhD, DNP.

Full text of the Professional Student Degree Act can be found HERE.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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