February 9, 2026.  In January, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) took a position  strongly opposing a proposed Department of Education rule which would strip Masters of Architecture and Doctorates of Architecture programs of their professional designation, an action that would limit federal loans for thousands of architecture students to just $20,500 per year.

“During pre-publication meetings, AIA raised concerns with this approach in a November statement […] The now published proposed rule disregards those concerns and reflects a misreading of congressional intent by drastically and unreasonably redefining what a ‘professional’ degree is,” the AIA said.

“AIA is especially concerned about the impact on students from lower- and middle-income backgrounds, who are less likely to have access to alternative sources of financing. Without federal aid that reflects the true cost of professional education, students may be forced into private debt or leave programs before completion – weakening the architecture workforce pipeline and undermining broader public-interest goals.”

AIA is preparing detailed comments to submit prior to the March 2 deadline for public comments and are engaged through work with their Government Affairs and Public Policy team.