Last week, ASPPH submitted formal comments to the US Department of Education opposing the proposed exclusion of the MPH and DrPH from the definition of a professional degree under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The proposal would place public health students in a lower federal loan limit category, restricting access to critical financial aid and creating new barriers to entering a profession essential to disease prevention, emergency response, and health system resilience.

The comment letter, submitted by President and CEO Dr. Laura Magaña on behalf of ASPPH, outlines significant legal and workforce concerns. As the letter states, excluding MPH and DrPH degrees contradicts the statutory definition incorporated by Congress and creates arbitrary barriers for students entering a long-recognized professional discipline.

Dr. Magaña also elevated the issue in a recent American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) editorial, “A Risk We Cannot Afford: Public Health Must Be Recognized as a Professional Degree,” reinforcing the historical foundation of public health education and warning that restricting loan access would weaken the workforce pipeline for decades.

ASPPH encourages members to submit their own public comments by the deadline of March 2, using the introduction section of ASPPH’s comments as a template. We also encourage members to contact their Members of Congress through ASPPH’s action form to reinforce the importance of protecting public health education. Additionally, students may use our Op-Ed template to submit personal stories to their local newspapers.