LifeWays Argues Federal Loan Rules Threaten Social Work Pipeline
In a commentary published by LifeWays, the author argues that new federal student loan policies could worsen Michigan's behavioral health workforce shortage. The piece contends that a new earnings-accountability system measures graduate social work programs against bachelor's-level earnings benchmarks, which could cause programs to lose access to federal Direct Loans if they fail the test in two of three years. The author also notes that the Department of Education excluded MSW and DSW programs from the "professional degree" classification that allows higher federal borrowing limits, despite social work meeting the department's own criteria for that category. The commentary warns these combined changes could restrict the pipeline of social workers Michigan needs, citing an estimated 530 annual job openings for mental health and substance use social workers in the state.