Advocacy Update: AATE Joins Coalition Supporting Federal Borrowing Access for Professional Programs
AATE is proud to join fellow health professions organizations in advocating for federal policy that recognizes the needs of professional programs, including athletic training.
AATE has joined a coalition of health professions organizations urging federal leaders to protect access to graduate and professional education pathways. This effort focuses on ensuring programs like athletic training have adequate access to federal borrowing and are appropriately recognized within federal student aid policy.
The Coalition Is Calling For:
- Congress to urge the Department of Education to delay implementation until at least July 1, 2027.
- Legislative clarity to ensure professional programs like athletic training have adequate access to federal borrowing.
- The Department of Education to expand and clarify its definition of “professional degree programs.”
AATE is proud to join fellow health professions organizations, including the American Occupational Therapy Association, American Physical Therapy Association, National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and many others, in this coalition. Read more about AATE involvement here:
Important Update: The Rule Has Been Finalized
Since this advocacy work began, there has been a critical development: on April 30, the Trump administration finalized the RISE regulation. The Department of Education opted to keep its narrow definition of “professional” programs, limiting that designation to just 11 fields:
- Pharmacy
- Dentistry
- Veterinary medicine
- Chiropractic
- Law
- Medicine
- Optometry
- Osteopathic medicine
- Podiatry
- Theology
- Clinical psychology
Athletic training and many other health professions were excluded.
The rule is currently set to take effect July 1, 2026. Multiple trade associations have announced plans to challenge the rule in federal court, and bipartisan members of Congress are actively working on legislation to expand the definition. AATE will continue to support advocacy efforts on both fronts.
What This Means for You
This is your association taking action on the issues that affect your students, your programs, and the future of the profession. AATE will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as this advocacy work moves forward.