Your Advocacy Matters! Urge Congress to Protect Medical Student Financial Aid

As the House Education and Workforce Committee’s budget reconciliation bill heads to the full House for consideration as part of a broader reconciliation package, certain provisions would impose serious financial burdens on colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) and their students. The legislation eliminates Grad PLUS loans and caps federal student professional borrowing at $150,000, while forcing institutions to shoulder millions in new risk-sharing payments—jeopardizing access to medical education and exacerbating the physician shortage.

With more than 9,000 messages sent to Congress, your advocacy continues to make a difference! The Committee added a provision that prevents student loan interest accrual during the first four years of residency-related forbearance and language basing institutional accountability payments on medical graduates’ earnings post-residency. These provisions were secured thanks to the collective advocacy of the OME community, and we must maintain the momentum!

With a growing physician shortage, we cannot afford policies that make it harder to train the next generation of doctors. Contact your elected officials today and urge them to protect the Grad PLUS Loan Program, oppose federal borrowing caps and reject unfair risk-sharing policies that harm COMs and students.