OME Advocate Newsletter

Late on Friday, February 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED)’s Office of Civil Rights issued a frequently asked questions document providing guidance on their Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) regarding discrimination on race, color and national origin in K-12 and higher education. This guidance was released on the deadline set by ED for institutions of higher education to comply with the DCL. 

While the DCL remains clear that institutions of higher education that receive federal funds shall not discriminate on the basis of race, the FAQ document seems to deescalate some of the more contentious provisions, including:

Acknowledging that ED cannot control the content of school curricula, but first amendment rights do not relieve schools of their Title VI obligations,

Stating that schools with programs “focused on interests in particular cultures, heritages and areas of the world” are not illegal if they are open to all students regardless of race,

Reminding schools that affinity graduation ceremonies, administering or advertising scholarships and other opportunities offered by third parties based on race or crafting admissions essay prompts to require applicants to disclose their race are not allowed and

Violating the law does not solely depend on whether a school uses specific terminology while urging schools not to veil discriminatory policies with vague terms.

AACOM will monitor enforcement of the DCL, including expected updates to the FAQs, and provide resources to the osteopathic medical education (OME) community as needed. View our analysis. If you have questions or comments, please contact aacomgr@aacom.org.

With the March 14, 2025, deadline to fund the government quicky approaching, Republican leadership unveiled a full-year continuing resolution (CR) over the weekend and plan to vote on the package early this week. The full-year CR would extend current funding levels through September 30, 2025, and prevent a government shutdown, while allowing appropriators time to finalize fiscal year (FY) 2025 bills. President Trump has expressed his support of a CR, and Democrats are likely facing a "yes or no" proposition on the legislation. While the CR would generally extend the funding levels from the FY24 spending, it includes key changes such as:

• Increasing funding for defense spending and immigration enforcement,
• Eliminating all earmarks from FY24 appropriations laws and the $15.9 billion in earmarked projects from FY25 bills,
• Reducing the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s innovation account funding to $127 million (from $407 million),
• Providing $2.1 billion for the Community Health Center Fund from April 1 through September 30,
• Extending the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, the National Health Service Corps and several other health programs through September 30.
• Eliminating $890.8 million in earmarks for healthcare facility construction and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) training grants and
• Extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities until September 30.

Simultaneously, House and Senate leadership are using budget reconciliation to advance President Trump’s agenda and have passed competing budget resolutions. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is committed to advancing the House version favored by President Trump, which the chamber passed on February 25, 2025, by a razor-thin vote of 217-215. The House Budget Committee's resolution tasked the Education and Workforce Committee with identifying $330 billion in deficit reductions over the next decade, which may include caps on federal student loans and increased costs to osteopathic medical schools. AACOM strongly opposes these provisions and we encourage you to join us in communicating the detrimental impact they would have on the healthcare industry with your Members of Congress.

Congress is considering harmful proposals in its budget reconciliation bill, including the elimination of the Grad PLUS Loan Program, a $200,000 cap on federal loans per borrower and the introduction of new risk-sharing payments, all of which put medical student financial aid under threat.

Grad PLUS loans are essential for making OME accessible, allowing students to borrow up to the full cost of their education without caps. Eliminating this program would make it harder for future doctors to afford medical school, reduce diversity in the physician workforce and worsen the physician shortage—especially in rural and underserved communities. At a time when our nation faces a growing physician shortage, it is critical that we do not impose unnecessary barriers on future physicians.

With more than 5,000 messages already sent to Congress, the osteopathic voice is being heard! Keep the momentum going and urge Congress to protect Grad PLUS loans, oppose federal borrowing caps and prevent harmful risk-sharing measures that could limit access to medical education.

• On March 3, 2025, Linda McMahon was sworn in as the 13th Secretary of the Department of Education shortly after the Senate confirmed her by a 51-45 party line vote.
• Shortly after her confirmation, draft text of an executive order (EO) was leaked and later pulled from publication that would require the secretary to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.” The secretary provided a statement on her role in completing the Department’s “final mission.”
• McMahon’s confirmation comes on the heels of a February 18, 2025, court ruling blocking implementation of ED’s Saving on a Valuable Education student loan repayment plan. In response to the ruling, ED pulled the applications for all income-driven repayment plans from their website, preventing borrowers from applying for these programs or recertifying their income.

• On Friday, March 7, 2025, President Trump signed an EO aimed at limiting eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which forgives student debt for workers working in certain public service positions after 10 years of qualifying payments.
• The order “directs the Secretary of Education to revise the PSLF program to exclude from eligibility organizations that engage in activities that have a substantial illegal purpose,” targeting roles in activist groups.
• The executive order will likely impact thousands of nonprofit employees involved in activist work opposed by the president. Borrowers working at an organization focused on immigration rights, civil disobedience advocacy, climate action or other causes could find their employment disqualified from PSLF. However, roles in the public healthcare sector are not immediately affected.

• On March 5, 2025, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a confirmation hearing for Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, President Trump’s nominee to lead the NIH.
• The confirmation hearing coincided with a nationwide preliminary injunction prohibiting NIH from implementing a flat 15 percent reimbursement rate for facilities and administration costs. AACOM and other health professions associations issued a statement to underscore the impact of these funding restrictions on research and healthcare education.
• When questioned about this policy during his confirmation hearing, Dr. Bhattacharya stated that he believes “transparency regarding indirect costs is absolutely worthwhile.”
• Dr. Bhattacharya will face a confirmation vote from the committee later this week on March 13, 2025.
• For more information about the hearing, view our summary and analysis.

• Congressional offices have begun releasing deadlines for FY26 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests in the House.
• While guidance has not yet been released by the House Appropriations Committee, colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) are encouraged to consider submitting a CPF request. These requests (aka earmarks) can support healthcare, education and other allowable investments subject to the guidelines provided by the House.
• COMs should check with their House members for participation and eligibility requirements and deadlines.
• A submitted request does not guarantee funding, but many COMs have received funding over the years so don’t miss this opportunity!
• View a complete list of FY24 funded projects and learn more about the breadth of projects specific to medical institutions. AACOM will share updates around committee guidance for the FY26 appropriations process.

• On March 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that, effective immediately, it is no longer required to apply public notice and comment procedures on any rules or regulations.
• Secretary Kennedy and HHS rescinded the little-known “Richardson Waiver” that allowed notice and comment for public benefit rules under the Administrative Procedures Act, a practice that had been in effect for nearly 55 years.
• While HHS now believes public comment is costly and thwarts efficiency, there is concern that the agency will enact changes with no transparency.
• The rollback may not face immediate legal challenges, but it could trigger pushback from Congress and advocacy groups. A similar attempt in the 1980s faced backlash, leading HHS to withdraw the proposal.
• AACOM will continue monitoring HHS activity and any challenges to the new procedure. If you have questions or comments, please contact aacomgr@aacom.org.