Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – 6/30/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) welcomed the Department of Education's decision to comply with a federal court’s order to expand its list of professional degree programs, a move that restores access to higher federal student loan limits for students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, audiology, and other critical healthcare fields. This is a direct result of Rep. Lawler’s persistent advocacy.

“After months of pushing the Department of Education through legislation, formal comments, bipartisan letters, and direct meetings with Secretary McMahon, the Department finally acknowledged what we’ve been saying all along- that these programs are professional degrees and should be treated as such.

While this decision will provide immediate relief by restoring access to higher federal student loan limits for thousands of future healthcare professionals, it remains an administrative action that could be reversed by a future administration. That’s why Congress must act. 

My Professional Student Degree Act would permanently codify these protections into law, end the uncertainty once and for all, and ensure that no unelected bureaucrat can again jeopardize the pipeline of nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists, social workers, and other critical healthcare professionals our communities depend on. 

We have won this battle, but the job isn’t finished until these protections are permanently written into law,” said Congressman Lawler. 

In December 2025, Congressman Lawler introduced the Professional Student Degree Act (H.R. 6718) to statutorily expand the definition of “professional degree.”  The bill explicitly lists critical fields including: Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant, Social Work, Audiology, Public Health, and many others. 

In February 2026, Congressman Lawler submitted a public comment to the Department of Education during the rulemaking process, arguing that these programs meet the statutory criteria for professional degrees and warning that excluding them would worsen healthcare workforce shortages. He also sent numerous solo and bipartisan letters to the Department and even met with Secretary McMahon directly to advocate for this change.

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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