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<div>This is a reminder that your voice is needed on an extremely important federal policy issue. As you may have seen, the U.S. Department of Education is working on regulations to implement the budget reconciliation bill passed last July (the "One Big Beautiful Bill" or OB3). These regulations
<b>exclude education students from the "professional student” category</b>.</div>
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<div>This exclusion has profound symbolic and practical implications for our profession, students, and programs. It sends the horrible message that the federal government does not consider educators to be professionals. And, crucially, it cuts off our students from needed access to federal student loans, threatening their ability to enroll or remain in our post-baccalaureate programs.</div>
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<div>The Department of Education has published the <a href="http://send.aacte.org/link.cfm?r=jZAFZeN3owZrYffp5s3UBA~~&pe=XBMWfovL_gjeY7v1b3o3V3c9QIun-69DbtiU8LcwTV-3gR7E7FbRnnhRj_OaP0yVtlau2X1PdHjyFigqtr4Z0w~~&t=VrX8ZsPdorLNLF7PBtgiPg~~" style="text-decoration:underline;color:rgb(225,86,43)" target="_blank">Proposed Rule</a> containing this restrictive definition of professional students and is inviting public comment by March 2, 2026. We must flood the Department with comments explaining the impact of this policy and seeking inclusion of all post-baccalaureate education students in the professional student category.</div>
<div>I ask you to take the following actions to help ensure that your students have access to the financial aid they need:</div>
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<li><a href="http://send.aacte.org/link.cfm?r=jZAFZeN3owZrYffp5s3UBA~~&pe=rgalWJI1CKJfIvxN7-4HaSQps80Sv46jKVWSNSp0HB5yJ79Kkrbzq6dMHbKzuUnxyvxGh-gWh8vjK_Wdk9pWzA~~&t=VrX8ZsPdorLNLF7PBtgiPg~~" style="text-decoration:underline;color:rgb(225,86,43)" target="_blank">Read and share</a> our "Explainer" with more information on the student loan changes imposed by OB3 and the professional student definition.</li>
<li>Ensure that your institution is <a href="http://send.aacte.org/link.cfm?r=jZAFZeN3owZrYffp5s3UBA~~&pe=gprDIgrRleLNQ4XLO5kKOvMIs6fKAhGzBamfE-r7Iq3djdDkReIfGdZF9YjMThJRwxYq1nsMhRomrzId-sXcSA~~&t=VrX8ZsPdorLNLF7PBtgiPg~~" style="text-decoration:underline;color:rgb(225,86,43)" target="_blank">responding to the draft regulation</a> and that it advocates for inclusion of education in the professional student category.</li>
<li><b>Submit your own comments by March 2</b>,
and encourage your colleagues, students, and K-12 partners to do the same.</li>
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<div>AACTE has prepared a <a href="http://send.aacte.org/link.cfm?r=jZAFZeN3owZrYffp5s3UBA~~&pe=05XS2gBQx3z-jmaEQgzOQTIXPlnm2up0x1znpSNU53v7_3eUVhpccEJFL08GjajYJFy2DY9uLV_k2JV5e0EbYw~~&t=VrX8ZsPdorLNLF7PBtgiPg~~" style="text-decoration:underline;color:rgb(225,86,43)" target="_blank">Comment Guide</a> to assist with your efforts. It has advice suitable for deans and other program leaders, individual faculty and students, and K-12 partners. We have also posted a short video with step-by-step instructions for submitting comments.</div>
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<div>Members of Congress are introducing bills that also address this issue, and you will hear more from us soon about how you can support those efforts as well.</div>
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<div>Please share any testimony you've submitted by emailing it to <a href="mailto:govrel@aacte.org" style="text-decoration:underline;color:rgb(225,86,43)" target="_blank">govrel@aacte.org</a>. Please send any questions to AACTE Senior Consultant Jacqueline King, Ph.D., at <a href="mailto:jking@aacte.org" style="text-decoration:underline;color:rgb(225,86,43)" target="_blank">jking@aacte.org</a>.</div>
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<td align="center" style="padding:12px 20px" valign="middle"><a href="http://send.aacte.org/link.cfm?r=jZAFZeN3owZrYffp5s3UBA~~&pe=-M8HA-ykkjU6tb1zXRxiDoSEHad5JUSvslUi5OY6QGxfs46MDdYBoKW0nnYvyEtDsZjCqxfHFnEMXF1d621Vlw~~&t=VrX8ZsPdorLNLF7PBtgiPg~~" style="display:block;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:100%;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;color:#ffffff" title="" target="_blank">LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION</a></td>
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<span style="font-size:11px">American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (<a href="http://send.aacte.org/link.cfm?r=jZAFZeN3owZrYffp5s3UBA~~&pe=NSEXWh867A00pZrOLiKcw3JmoVf9LL3DsUbio2RByQWJrnxUGSmldyt4esqSHuBqOR4C60b8fvcfX3nEAPFyLw~~&t=VrX8ZsPdorLNLF7PBtgiPg~~" style="text-decoration:underline;color:rgb(225,86,43)" target="_blank">AACTE</a>®)
<br> One Dupont Circle, NW, Ste. 450, Office 405 | Washington, DC 20036</span>
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<span style="font-size:11px"><span style="white-space:nowrap">Phone: 202-293-2450 | Fax:</span> <span style="white-space:nowrap">202-457-8095</span></span>
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