Since the very first social work class was offered in 1898 at Columbia University, social work education has created opportunities for individuals to make crucial contributions to changing the lives of vulnerable people experiencing some of the worst days of their lives. Already being an underpaid, undervalued, and overworked profession, social workers have played an integral role in an array of settings, including schools, mental health centers, substance use disorder treatment centers, nursing homes, child welfare agencies, private practice, to name a few. In addition to serving clients directly, social workers often administer programs and serve as advocates.
During this current administration, major changes to student loans and student loan debt relief are being pushed by the Department of Education. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) instructed the Department of Education to rein in student loan debt by ending the popular Grad PLUS loan program as well as severely restricting access to student loans by limiting loans based on whether the degree programs are classified as professional versus graduate. Through their Negotiated Rulemaking, the Department of Education has limited the types of degrees that are considered professional, which means that social workers would have lower student loan limits for their graduate programs. We are expecting proposed rules for the Department of Education to be released in 2026.
For all social workers and aspiring social workers who care about the future of this profession, this is the moment to act.
Sign the petition. Raise your voice. Join NASW.
Advocacy is not a spectator sport, and the stakes could not be higher.
“If we do not show up for our profession, we cannot expect others to show up for us. Advocacy is how we protect our students, our workforce, and the communities we serve.”
Dr. Anthony Estreet, CEO, NASW
Your signature matters.
Your membership matters.
Our collective voice matters.
Let us stand up for social work together.
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our concern regarding the Department of Education’s proposed definition of ‘professional degree’ programs, which excludes a plethora of professions including social work. During the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Congress used a definition for professional programs that had a limited list of professional degrees, but the definition states that the professional degrees listed include but are not limited to those that can be considered professional degrees.
Social workers are one of the largest professional groups of mental health providers in the United States and play critical roles in child welfare, schools, veterans services, mental health care, services for older adults, services for individuals battling substance use disorders, and more.
Amid the ongoing mental health crisis, access to a social work education is crucial if the country has any chance of providing enough support to the individuals, families, and communities that need mental health care.
As one of the fastest growing professions, social work is expected to have more than 800,000 trained professionals by 2033 but will only reach that goal with full access to student loans so all who are called to the profession are able to go to school and eventually be the social worker their communities need.
We call on the Department of Education to expand the proposed definition of ‘professional degrees’ to include social work.