AAPA Files Formal Comments Opposing Proposed Federal Student Loan Rule

The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) has filed formal public comments with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) opposing its proposal to exclude PA programs from higher federal “professional” student loan limits and urging the Department to align the final rule with the statute by classifying PAs under the professional loan tier. 

February 26, 2026

AAPA Comments to Education Department: Student Loan Exceeds Statutory Authority, Redefines H.R. 1’s “Professional Degree”

The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), representing approximately the nation’s 190,000 physician associates/physician assistants (PAs), formally submitted public comments to the U.S. Department of Education opposing its proposed federal student loan rule under the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) framework.

February 26, 2026

What’s at Stake: Fighting for PA Access to Student Loans

Since the announcement of the Department of Education’s proposed cap on federal student loans, AAPA has received nearly 2,000 of stories from PAs, PA students, and pre-PAs describing how essential federal loans are to affording PA education and how the Department’s proposed rule would disrupt the PA workforce pipeline. This article is the second in a special AAPA News Central series, “What’s at Stake: Fighting for PA Access to Student Loans.”

February 20, 2026

What’s at Stake: Fighting for PA Access to Student Loans

Since the announcement of the Department of Education’s proposed cap on federal student loans, AAPA has received nearly 2,000 of stories from PAs, PA students, and pre-PAs describing how essential federal loans are to affording PA education and how the Department’s proposed rule would disrupt the PA workforce pipeline. This article is the first in a special AAPA News Central series, “What’s at Stake: Fighting for PA Access to Student Loans.”

February 13, 2026

New Survey Shows Proposed Federal Student Loan Cap Would Shrink the PA Workforce

As federal regulators consider changes to student loan policy, new national survey data released today by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) show that capping federal student loan borrowing for PA education would sharply reduce the number of future PAs and limit access to care, especially in rural and medical underserved areas.  

February 4, 2026

AAPA Statement on ED Decision to Place Restrictive Caps on PA Student Loans

American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) President and Chair of the Board of Directors, Todd Pickard, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, FASCO, issued a statement in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking, where federal negotiators agreed to a definition of “professional program” that would exclude physician associates (PAs) from eligibility for higher federal student loan limits.

November 7, 2025

AAPA Testifies in South Carolina on Safety, Quality of PA Care in Push for Modernized Practice Laws

AAPA’s Vice President of Reimbursement and Professional Practice Sondra DePalma, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, delivered compelling testimony before a subcommittee of the South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee on the benefits, safety, and quality of physician associate (PA) care and the importance of removing supervision requirements for these healthcare practitioners in the state. 

November 6, 2025

Topics