The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) submitted comments to the US Department of Education (ED) regarding concerns about its proposal to exclude O&P from the “professional degree” designation and to place federal loan caps on degrees categorized as “non-professional.”
The Academy’s submission outlined why O&P education meets the federal definition of a professional degree, including requiring completion of a master’s program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, a mandatory 18-24–month residency, national board certification, and, in many states, licensure. Certification must also be maintained through continuing education.
The Academy also detailed the financial realities facing O&P students, including high tuition costs, limited program availability, modest residency compensation, and reliance on federal loans to bridge educational expenses and early-career earnings, and said that restricting access to adequate federal student loans would have significant downstream effects. The listed effects of the exclusion were reduced access to O&P education, worsening workforce shortages, increased patient wait times, greater clinician burnout, and delayed or diminished care.
To read the document, visit “Academy Dept of Education Student Loan Response.”
