Professional Accounting Coalition Expresses Strong Opposition to Draft Regulation Excluding Accounting from Professional Degree Designation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), together with eight other professional accounting organizations representing approximately 1.5 million accounting and finance professionals, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing strong opposition to any draft regulation which would exclude accounting programs from a professional degree designation and urging that accounting programs be included as a professional degree in the proposed rule.

The Department of Education's recent proposed regulation would exclude accounting programs across the country from a professional degree designation for the purposes of graduate student loan eligibility, which will do great harm to the profession.

"Accounting is a profession. It is state‑licensed, built on rigorous education beyond a standard bachelor's degree, validated by the Uniform CPA Examination and governed by ethics and competency standards. Students pursuing this pathway should have equitable access to graduate‑level financing, consistent with other recognized professional programs that serve critical public needs," the group states in the letter.

While the group appreciates the Department's broader effort to align lending with workforce needs, it also asks that a parity approach be employed to sustain the pipeline of future accountants and protect communities and markets.

The coalition is comprised of the following organizations:

• AGA – formerly the Association of Government Accountants
• American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)
• American Accounting Association (AAA)
• Center for Audit Quality (CAQ)
• Financial Executives International (FEI)
• Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
• NABA, Inc.
• National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
• National Council of Philippine American Canadian Accountants (NCPACA)

About the American Institute of CPAs  
The American Institute of CPAs^® (AICPA^®) is the world's largest member association representing the CPA profession, with 397,000 members and a history of serving the public interest since 1887. AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education, and consulting. A founding member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession, attestation standards, and U.S. auditing standards for private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination, offers specialized credentials, partners across the profession to build future talent, and drives continuing education to advance the vitality, relevance, and quality of the profession.

SOURCE AICPA