The AAMC-led Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition sent a Nov. 5 letter (PDF) to House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), as well as Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), urging lawmakers to finalize fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding with a robust investment in the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs.
The letter, signed by 48 national organizations, specifically requested that the higher amount of the House and Senate Committee-approved funding levels for the Title VII and VIII programs be provided for FY 2026. The letter also expressed appreciation that the FY 2026 House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bills include funding for the Title VII and VIII programs, while also encouraging lawmakers to support continued and increased investments for these programs. Moreover, the letter urged lawmakers to reject proposed cuts to Title VII pathway programs — including the Centers of Excellence and Health Careers Opportunity Program — the Medical Student Education program, and the Public Health Training Centers, as well as the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Diversity Program and Nursing Faculty Loan Program.