The AAMC July 15 joined over 30 higher education organizations in a letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and House Education and Labor Committee leadership urging the committees to prioritize graduate and professional students in any Higher Education Act (HEA) legislation.
The community letter emphasizes, “Graduate and professional education are vital elements of the nation’s higher education and innovation ecosystems that empower U.S. economic competitiveness and contribute to our nation’s health and security.”
The letter continues, “As part of HEA, we urge Congress to retain strong graduate student loan options, including the GradPLUS program. We also support strengthening the programs that provide critical aid to students who are pursuing graduate education as well as programs that support expanding diversity, equity, and inclusiveness within graduate education.”
As Congressional leaders continue to negotiate HEA reauthorization, the White House released an HEA proposal that would cap GradPLUS loans [See Washington Highlights, March 22]. The AAMC previously joined a letter noting that capping GradPLUS could force the neediest borrowers and nontraditional students to take out private student loans with less favorable terms to fully finance their education [See Washington Highlights, June 28].