AIA’s advocacy efforts on the federal definition of “professionals”

AIA is working with partner organizations and legislators to make progress toward both including architects in the federal definition of “professionals” and passing legislation on student loan caps to ensure affordable education.

The Department of Education’s narrow interpretation of “professional programs” under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act threatens to exclude architecture students from higher federal loan limits—limiting access to graduate education in our field. AIA is working to ensure that architecture maintains its rightful place among recognized professional programs and that future architecture students can afford the education path that’s best for them.

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What you can do

Contact your Congressional Representatives: Tell your Representatives and Senators that architecture should be recognized as a professional program, and that you support the Lawler and/or Torres legislation. Share your own experience with graduate architecture education costs and the importance of accessible federal loans.

Prepare to submit public comments: Think about how this rule would’ve affected you, other architects you know, or future architects. Plan to submit a public comment and share this article with your fellow architects, and encourage them to do the same.

Share your story with us: We are seeking architects with personal experience using federal loans to pay for MArch or DArch degrees to inform our advocacy. If you’re a recent graduate, current student, or faculty member, share how reduced loan limits of $20,500 per year would impact the ability to pursue an advanced architecture degree. Email your story to [email protected].

Engage your school: Encourage your architecture school dean and university leadership to join the advocacy effort and coordinate with other affected institutions.

For questions about AIA’s advocacy work on this issue, please contact [email protected].