ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The PA Education Association (PAEA) and the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) strongly condemn the U.S. Department of Education's final rule defining professional degree programs, which excludes PA students from classification as professional students. The groups plan to challenge the rule in federal court.  
 
The final Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) rule released today is a significant departure from statutory requirements in Public Law 119-21. By excluding PA students from this designation, the Department has exceeded its authority by acting contrary to Congressional intent. The consequences of this decision and excluding PAs from qualifying for federal professional student loans will create unnecessary barriers to PA education and undermine efforts to strengthen the healthcare workforce at a time of growing national need. 
 
AAPA and PAEA are preparing to challenge the rule in federal court under the Administrative Procedure Act and other bases, with the goal to overturn the rule and restore the definition of professional students that Congress originally outlined.  
 
Beyond legal action, the groups are committed to pursuing all other available avenues to reverse this outcome. AAPA and PAEA will also press for immediate corrective action from Congress and ensure this type of overreach cannot be repeated.  
 
If not reversed, beginning July 1, PA students will be limited to annual federal loans set at $20,500, a cap that falls far short of tuition alone. This rule will have lasting consequences not just for PA students, but for the strength, stability, and capacity of the nation's healthcare workforce. AAPA and PAEA will continue to advocate forcefully for policies that preserve access and sustain the PA workforce pipeline, and welcome others to join us in this fight.  

About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) 

AAPA is the national membership organization for all physician associates/assistants (PAs). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. PAs have more than 590 million patient interactions per year. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.

About the PA Education Association (PAEA)

The PA Education Association (PAEA) is the national organization representing PA educational programs in the United States and the professional home for PA educators. The Association brings educators together to connect, learn, and lead, and supports faculty, staff, students, and applicants with resources, development, and advocacy that strengthen PA programs and advance the profession. Learn more at PAEAonline.org.

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SOURCE American Academy of Physician Associates