Utah's Health Workforce on the Brink: What You Won't Believe is Causing the Crisis!

For over a decade, I've seen firsthand the dedication of students in Utah who aspire to become health care professionals. Despite the rigorous training and modest salaries, these individuals—holding aspirations to be nurses, occupational or physical therapists, physician assistants, and athletic trainers—are motivated by a strong desire to serve their communities. However, this crucial pathway into health care is now at risk due to an impending federal loan policy change set to take effect in 2026.

Beginning July 1, 2026, the federal Graduate PLUS loan program will be eliminated for new borrowers, which has historically allowed graduate students to finance their education up to the full cost of attendance. Instead, new graduate borrowers will only be able to access Direct Unsubsidized Loans, capped at $20,500 annually, and a total of $100,000 throughout their education. While this cap may be manageable for some academic programs, it is utterly insufficient for those in clinical health professions.

Programs like nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy require full-time commitment, intensive coursework, and extensive unpaid clinical rotations. These experiences are vital for both accreditation and ensuring patient safety. Students cannot afford to shorten or compress these demanding programs while juggling work, making it nearly impossible for many to pursue these essential careers without substantial financial support.

Importantly, eliminating Graduate PLUS loans does not equate to a reduction in tuition. Specialized faculty, accredited clinical sites, and necessary instructional resources drive costs up. Higher-education policy experts have raised alarms that this shift will force more students to rely on private loans, which come with higher interest rates and fewer consumer protections. This trend may not only deter potential health care workers but could also exacerbate the existing shortages in these fields.

In Utah, many of the careers most affected by this policy shift do not yield six-figure salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, early- to average-career salaries for these essential roles are as follows: occupational therapists earn around $74,000 to $88,000, physical therapists make approximately $78,000 to $93,000, speech-language pathologists earn between $63,000 and $81,000, athletic trainers have salaries ranging from $44,000 to $56,000, and nurse practitioners can expect to earn $98,000 to $112,000. While these positions are stable and critical to community health, they often cannot support the private loan balances that may exceed six figures.

The legislation also introduces a less visible issue: it reserves higher federal loan limits exclusively for a select group of degrees classified as “professional.” This distinction fails to accurately reflect the modern landscape of health care training, which encompasses a wide array of disciplines essential for community health.

Weber State University and other educational institutions in Utah are committed to maintaining affordable health care education. These programs are particularly focused on serving Utah students, many of whom hail from rural communities and wish to practice within the state. Yet even at the most cost-effective public institutions, the inability to borrow adequately—limited to $20,500 a year—poses significant barriers to accessing the education these students need to succeed.

Utah cannot afford to build a health care workforce based solely on who can pay upfront. If these policies remain unchanged, the state risks facing fewer trained providers, longer wait times for medical services, and a reduced number of local students entering the professions that their communities desperately rely on.

It is imperative that Utah’s congressional delegation and higher-education leaders take action now to advocate for a fair replacement for Graduate PLUS loans, as well as support for institutions striving to keep health care education affordable. Colleges and universities like Weber State University are already working to manage costs while upholding the high standards necessary to educate safe and competent health care providers. However, they cannot tackle this challenge alone. Legislative support is essential to recognize vital health professions as legitimate professional programs and provide affordable federal loan options, ensuring that financial barriers do not obstruct education or health care.

If Utah aims to cultivate a robust, homegrown health workforce in the coming years, immediate policy changes are crucial to keep the door open for the students ready to serve their communities.

Robyn Thompson, PhD, OTR/L, serves as the Program Director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Weber State University. With over 25 years in health care and more than a decade in higher education, her work focuses on workforce development and health professions education.