Audiology Included as Professional Degree in Federal Court Stay: Litigation Ongoing
Dear ADA Members,
On June 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, in consolidated cases Nos. 26-1780 and 26-1941, issued a preliminary stay blocking a key portion of the Department of Education's RISE Final Rule, and specifically, the Department's definition of "professional degree." In response, the Department published Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-42 on June 29, 2026, establishing an interim list of programs to be treated as professional degree programs for federal student loan purposes. Audiology/ Audiologist (Au.D.), CIP code 51.0202, is included on the interim list.
As ADA understands it, for the duration of the court's stay, Au.D. students are eligible for professional student loan limits up to $50,000 annually and $200,000 in aggregate. Institutions that have already originated loans for Au.D. students at the graduate level for award year 2026–27 may update those loans to reflect professional student status and adjust amounts accordingly.
However, the Department notes that institutions may also wish to consider limiting loan amounts to graduate-level caps in the interim to mitigate potential disruption should program classification change as the litigation proceeds.
The Department has stated it is confident the RISE rule's professional degree definition is lawful and will continue to defend it. The remainder of the RISE Final Rule, including elimination of Grad PLUS loans, new annual and aggregate loan limits, takes effect July 1, 2026, as scheduled.
Students with questions about their loan eligibility should work directly with their financial aid offices, which can reference GENERAL-26-42 for institutional guidance.
ADA has been a persistent advocate for audiology's recognition as a professional degree program throughout this rulemaking process. In March 2026, ADA submitted formal comments to the Department of Education making the case that the Au.D. satisfies every criterion for professional degree status. ADA's comments also drew on the record of the RISE Committee itself, whose member Alexander Holt specifically stated that audiology "just is not really any different than podiatry" and that programs classified as 100% professional degrees in IPEDS, as audiology is, were likely intended by Congress to be included. ADA urged the Department to adopt that reasoning explicitly.
ADA will continue to monitor this litigation and advocate for the permanent recognition of audiology as a professional degree.