APTA Maryland joins APTA in expressing deep concern regarding the recent proposal from the Department of Education’s Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. If enacted, this would reclassify the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and numerous other health care professional doctorates as “graduate degrees” rather than “professional degrees” on July 1, 2026. This reclassification would effectively block many future physical therapists from entering the field at a time when access to care is already strained nationwide. We will need to mobilize as many people as possible to let them know how this will undermine the entire American health care system. This is bad for all Marylanders.
While the issue involves education policy, the true impact extends far beyond academic terminology or funding structures. This proposal threatens the sustainability of health care professions by making it significantly harder for students to pursue the education required to enter fields such as physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, physician assistants, and audiology. Fewer professionals entering these fields means fewer clinicians available to serve patients—worsening current shortages and reducing access to care in communities across Maryland and the nation.
As APTA President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD, stated: “Everything we do begins with strengthening the ability of physical therapists to serve their patients and communities. That includes ensuring that the future workforce has access to quality education.” This proposal threatens that access and, in turn, threatens the long-term stability of our health care system.
This proposal runs contrary to the intent of Congress and threatens the public’s access to vital health services. As such, APTA strongly opposes this proposal and is urging Congress to intervene. Although the proposal is not final, it represents a significant and misguided shift that could destabilize health care delivery for years to come.
APTA will continue engaging with the Department of Education throughout the rulemaking process, particularly when the proposal is released for a 60-day public comment period in early 2026. When this period opens, we must be prepared to act, to advocate, and to protect the future of our professions.
How You Can Help Now:
APTA members can take immediate action through the APTA Patient Action Center [link: https://www.apta.org/advocacy/take-action/patient-action-center], which provides key messages to send to elected officials. Raising our collective voice is essential to preserving the strength, diversity, and accessibility of the health care workforce.
This issue affects our profession, our patients, and the health of our communities across Maryland and our entire country. It affects every one of us.
APTA Maryland stands ready to act. Will you?
Roy Film, APTA Maryland President
Protecting the Physical Therapy Workforce: How the DOE Proposal Threatens Access to Care
The U.S. Department of Education is reconsidering which degrees qualify as “professional.” If the DPT is excluded, students will lose access to key federal loan programs. This doesn’t merely represent a designation change. More importantly, it represents a major threat to the healthcare workforce pipeline.
To be clear, we acknowledge that high tuition is a serious problem, but this proposal does nothing to reduce tuition. It only caps federal student loan eligibility, making it more difficult for qualified applicants – especially those from underserved, rural, or lower-income backgrounds – to choose to enter the health professions.
Why This Matters
• Fewer students able to finance education → fewer graduates → fewer licensed PTs.
• Hospitals, rehab centers, and private practices will struggle even more to recruit and retain physical therapists.
• Patients will wait longer for care or forego care altogether, especially in rural and underserved communities.
This goes far beyond education policy—it is a health care access issue.
However, it is not final. We still have a chance to influence the outcome, but we need your voice. Please keep an eye out for the official comment period is announced so you can join in advocating for our profession.
