The Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) engages in federal advocacy to advance policies that support chiropractic education and the institutions that deliver it. Federal higher-education and workforce policies directly affect student access, institutional stability, and the long-term viability of the chiropractic profession.
ACC monitors legislative and regulatory activity related to student financial aid, educational accountability, and workforce development that may impact chiropractic colleges and their students. Additional information on federal student aid policy is available through the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office:
https://studentaid.gov
Recent federal legislation and regulatory actions have introduced new limits on graduate and professional student loans, along with renewed scrutiny of loan eligibility and program classifications for federal aid purposes. These developments may affect students pursuing professional doctoral education in the health sciences, including chiropractic.
ACC tracks legislative proposals and regulatory developments related to these issues through Congress and federal agencies. Current higher-education legislation can be reviewed through Congress.gov:
https://www.congress.gov
Chiropractic education is a professional doctoral pathway requiring extensive academic and clinical training. Federal student loan programs are essential to:
Policies that limit or restrict access to federal student aid could discourage qualified applicants and weaken the pipeline of future doctors of chiropractic. Federal rulemaking and proposed regulations related to student aid are published in the Federal Register:
https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/education-department
ACC advocates for federal policies that:
ACC works to keep member institutions informed and engaged by:
ACC also encourages institutions to continue supporting students through scholarships, institutional aid, and other financial resources as federal policies evolve.
ACC continues to monitor emerging federal issues that may affect chiropractic colleges, including:
Michele Maiers , DC, MPH, PhD is Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Northwestern Health Sciences University, where she leverages high quality research to inform healthcare policy and innovation initiatives on local, regional and national levels.
She is also Co-Director of the RAND REACH Center, where she facilitates research activity both within and across institutions that train complementary and integrative health practitioners.
