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Responding to the DOE about including Accounting as a profession--updated December 23, 2025
Dec 23, 2025 —As you likely already know, the U.S. Department of Education has proposed a definition of "professional degree" that does not include accounting. The potential change will impact our profession as well as others including nursing and architecture. It will impact the level of financial supports students receive. This will only add to the shortage of candidates in the accounting field.
The AICPA, with the support of VT CPA and other state societies, has issued a statement about the impact of this decision and urging the DOE to recognize accounting. NASBA has also issued a response strongly opposing the DOE's implementation of the new student load policies.
Read a copy of the letter that AICPA and the State CPA Societies sent to the DOE here.
More Accounting Organizations join the conversation
On December 15, 2025, the AICPA together with eight other professional accounting organizations, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing strong opposition to any draft regulation which would exclude accounting programs from a professional degree designation and urging that accounting programs be included as a professional degree in the upcoming proposed rule.
Potential Congressional action
As of this publication on December 23, 2025, three separate legislative proposals have been introduced to Congress to address this issue. They all take slightly different approaches. There is no obvious path to legislative success at this time.
- Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) has a bill with 4 other Republicans (including CPA Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick) that would add a number of additional degree programs to the "professional" definition, including accounting.
- Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) has a bill with one other Democratic cosponsor that would repeal the changes made by OBBBA instituting the loan caps. It does not address the underlying regulatory definition of a "professional" degree program.
- Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY) has a bill with two dozen Democratic cosponsors, many of whom serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee. It removes the lower caps so that all kinds of loans are capped at the higher limits, but it does not address the underlying regulatory definition of "professional" degree programs.
AICPA is reviewing these proposals, communicating with sponsors' offices, and engaging with Congress on this issue.
What is next? What can you do?
It is likely the draft rule will be published in the federal register early next year. When that happens, a formal public comment period will open up. VT CPA will work with AICPA and our other partners to monitor the issue and update membership on requests for action.
Stay tuned to VT CPA for information and updates.
