There are several provisions in the House-passed budget reconciliation package that would severely impact healthcare education and restrict eligibility for federal student financial aid programs that are essential for training the next generation of chiropractors. 

Rather than making healthcare education more affordable, this bill would eliminate entire federal student aid programs, significantly reduce eligibility for others, strip protections and flexibilities for struggling borrowers, and remove provisions intended to protect taxpayer dollars—all while healthcare workforce shortages continue to challenge communities across our state. 

The proposal would cause harm to chiropractic education programs, including: 

Eliminating Grad PLUS loans for new borrowers, which are critical for students pursuing doctoral degrees in chiropractic and other essential healthcare professions. 

Reducing Pell Grant eligibility by changing the definition of full-time enrollment from 12 to 15 credit hours and eliminating eligibility for students enrolled less than half-time. This particularly impacts healthcare students who may need flexible enrollment options during clinical rotations and internships. 

Eliminating subsidized Direct Loans for undergraduate students, making borrowing more expensive for pre-health students from low-income backgrounds who are already facing significant financial barriers to healthcare careers. 

Imposition of institutional risk-sharing, holding schools financially liable for loan defaults—potentially destabilizing smaller and nonprofit institutions. 

Capping of federal loan limits, well below the true cost of education, pushing students into riskier private loans or out of school entirely. 

The healthcare workforce implications are severe. Chiropractic colleges and other healthcare education programs serve as critical pipelines for addressing healthcare shortages in underserved communities. Students pursuing healthcare careers often come from diverse backgrounds and rely heavily on federal aid programs to access these essential educational pathways. Eliminating Grad PLUS loans would particularly harm students from low-income families who have limited federal aid options and may be unable to access private loans due to credit requirements. 

Please join the chiropractic community in urging your senators to reinstate these vital education provisions.