The South Carolina Association of CPAs (SCACPA) joined the AICPA and other state CPA societies in co-signing a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) on Dec. 5. Addressed to Secretary Linda McMahon, the letter strongly urges the DOE to include accounting programs leading to CPA licensure within its definition of a professional degree under the new lending limits established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Copies of the letter were also shared with:
- Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
- The Senate Committee on Education, Labor and Pension
- House and Senate leadership
The DOE recently proposed changes that would reclassify professional degree programs—and accounting is not currently listed among those programs.
The joint letter emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining accounting’s status as a professional degree to:
- Protect the workforce and CPA pipeline from negative impacts
- Ensure equitable education costs
- Safeguard the public interest
SCACPA remains committed to protecting and promoting the profession, and we will keep our members updated as events unfold.
