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Policy and Advocacy Legislation Financial Aid Letter to Legislator
Policy and Advocacy Legislation Financial Aid Letter to Legislator

AccessLex Institute Supports Legislation to Reinstate Federal Subsidized Loans for Graduate Students

The Honorable Tim Walberg
Chairman
House Education and Workforce Committee
2176 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Robert Scott
Ranking Member
House Education and Workforce Committee
2328 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Walberg and Ranking Member Scott:

AccessLex Institute® is pleased to offer its support for H.R. 3711, the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt (POST GRAD) Act, which would reinstate the in-school interest subsidy for graduate and professional students who borrow Federal Direct Stafford Loans.

AccessLex Institute, in partnership with its nearly 200 nonprofit and state-affiliated ABA-approved member law schools, has been committed to improving access to legal education and to maximizing the affordability and value of a law degree since 1983. The AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence® advocates for policies that make legal education work better for students and society alike and conducts research on the most critical issues facing legal education today.

The Budget Control Act of 2011 eliminated Direct Subsidized Loans for graduate students. While graduate students can still borrow the same aggregate amount in Direct Loans, they can only borrow unsubsidized loans, which accrue interest while borrowers are enrolled in school. Loss of the in-school interest benefit for graduate and professional students increases their loan balances by thousands of dollars, decreasing both access to and the value of advanced education. Introduced on June 4, 2025 by Representative Judy Chu (D-CA), the POST GRAD Act would restore parity between undergraduate and graduate education funding policy by reinstating graduate students’ eligibility for federal subsidized student loans.

As more jobs in today’s economy require an advanced degree, it is critically important that Congress advance policies that enable students to enter into these jobs and provide much needed services to individuals across this country. The POST GRAD Act would meaningfully lower the cost of graduate education for students who may not be able to otherwise afford it.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or Nancy Conneely, Vice President of Policy, at [email protected].

Sincerely,
Christopher P. Chapman
President and Chief Executive Officer
AccessLex Institute®

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