As currently drafted, the U.S. Department of Education’s implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) could have serious, lasting consequences for our public health workforce. Under the new law, our core public health degrees (MPH, DrPH, and equivalents) are not clearly included as “professional degrees.” Without this recognition, students may lose access to federal financial aid, which could undermine both their education and our future workforce.

ASPPH has formally submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education, and we encourage others to join us by submitting their own by August 25, 2025. Our collective voice is essential to protecting public health education.

In our comments, ASPPH urged the Department to:

• Explicitly include MPH, DrPH, and equivalent public health degrees in the definition of “professional degree programs”
• Provide clear implementation guidance on loan limit changes to prevent disruptions for students
• Restore adequate staffing and support at the Department to ensure effective implementation
• Improve transparency in the use of graduate earnings data
• Clarify Pell Grant packaging rules to avoid unintended barriers for low-income students
• Include public health expertise on relevant rulemaking committees.

These recommendations are critical to ensuring equitable access to education and sustaining a strong, prepared public health workforce.