Association Perspective
Michael D. Hogue, PharmD, FAPhA, FNAP, FFIP, Executive vice president and CEO of APhA
On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. There are several provisions that impact federal student loans, and—in particular—access to those loans by graduate and professional students, including student pharmacists. The three most significant components eliminate Grad PLUS loans, cap the amount students can borrow at $50,000 per year and $200,000 over a lifetime, and restrict the federal Parent PLUS Loan program at $20,000 per year and $65,000 over a lifetime starting July 1, 2026. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy estimates that the average debt for public and private pharmacy schools combined is just over $168,000, with private schools nearly touching on the total lifetime borrowing cap for federal loans as outlined in the new law.
APhA advocates for our student pharmacist members with Congress. We fought hard against inclusion of these restrictions in H.R. 1., and we are not done advocating for our student pharmacists. There are other student loan and grant pathways for student pharmacists that exist but with which student pharmacists may be unfamiliar, largely because the programs have not explicitly been designated for or marketed to student pharmacists. One example we have identified is that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has funding to support the State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP). This funding is available to allow states to determine ways to address health care shortages. APhA determined that most states have only been focusing on addressing physician shortages and not shortages of other health care providers.
To address this concern, APhA has worked closely with members of Congress to have language addressing this issue in the FY26 Labor, HHS, Education and Related Appropriations Act (LHHS) guidance to agencies. Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and the committee included APhA-provided language to address the SLRP. Here is the exact excerpt as it appears in the LHHS Appropriations Bill (emphasis is mine):
“State Loan Repayment Program.—The Committee appreciates that the State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) allows States to determine how to address healthcare provider shortages. However, the Committee is concerned that many States may not be focusing on the full range of healthcare providers in shortage, including in nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and behavioral healthcare. The Committee requests HRSA include in the fiscal year 2027 congressional justification information regarding the steps the agency is taking to address health professions shortages, including efforts to ensure the SLRP is supporting all health care professions in shortage, including in nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and behavioral healthcare. The update should include: (1) information, by State, on what professions are benefiting from the SLRP and how many individuals in each profession have received funding; and (2) how many individuals applied, broken down by profession and State. In addition, the update should provide information on how HRSA can expand efforts to include health professionals who do not typically benefit from HRSA workforce programs, such as pharmacists, in its educational, training, and loan repayment programs.”
While this may seem like a very small thing, it’s a very big deal to our student pharmacists and future student pharmacists. It also illustrates why APhA needs student pharmacists, new practitioners, and other pharmacy personnel to be members of APhA. Without your membership, APhA can’t engage or have influence in these important discussions. Thank you for your membership, and we ask that you tell your colleagues about this win secured by APhA so that they will also see one of the many reasons why it’s important to join APhA!
For every pharmacist, for all of pharmacy. ■