ÀÖ²©´«Ã½

In late June, a D.C. Federal Judge temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Education from implementing the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) rule. Following that decision, the Department of Education released on the RISE rule that revised the professional degree definition. Although some behavioral health programs are now included, ÀÖ²©´«Ã½remains deeply concerned that counseling programs are still excluded from the Department of Education's definition of a professional degree. This decision creates unnecessary barriers for students entering the counseling profession and undermines efforts to strengthen the nation's behavioral health workforce at a time of unprecedented need.

This issue is far from over. ÀÖ²©´«Ã½has been leading the fight against this rule since it was first proposed, and we will continue using every available advocacy avenue, including legislative, regulatory and legal strategies to protect counseling students and the future of the profession. Our message remains clear: Counseling programs belong in the professional degree designation, and we will continue pressing the Department of Education until that inequity is corrected.

ÀÖ²©´«Ã½is actively working with our advocacy partners at Arnold & Porter to obtain additional legal clarity regarding the scope of the court's ruling on this issue. At the same time, we are engaging with Congress and the Department of Education to ensure policymakers fully understand the harmful consequences of excluding counseling programs from professional degree status.

We understand how important timely and accurate communication is for counseling students, counselor education programs, and the profession as a whole. As soon as we have additional information, we will share updates through ACA's communication channels and continue mobilizing our members to advocate for this critical issue.

Read Our Previous Updates on This Issue:

Take Action: Federal Student Loan Caps Threaten Access to Counseling Programs (Nov. 21, 2025)

Call on the Department of Education to formally recognize Counseling Programs as Professional Programs (Feb. 20, 2026)

Rule Finalized Reducing Access to Federal Student Loans (May 4, 2026)

Federal Court Blocks Student Loan Rule Affecting Counseling Students (July 1, 2026)

If you would like to become involved in ACA’s advocacy efforts, please contact us at advocacy@counseling.org.