Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE): Social Work was (also) Built for This Moment

By Johanna Thomas, Ph.D., LCSW

If you have been following recent federal policy discussions, you have likely heard about the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) regulations and the proposed changes to the federal definition of a professional degree. While regulatory language can seem distant from everyday practice, the implications for social work education and ultimately for the communities we serve are anything but abstract.

At the center of the debate is a troubling reality: social work has been excluded from the federal definition of a professional degree. Although social work is a licensed profession in Arkansas and across the nation, with title protection in Arkansas and many other states, accredited educational standards, and licensure pathways from the BSW through the LCSW, the new rules would significantly limit federal borrowing for students pursuing MSW and DSW degrees. Under the final regulations, students would be capped at $20,500 annually and $100,000 over their lifetime, approximately half of what many students have previously been eligible to borrow.

The consequences of this move extend far beyond financial aid. When policymakers suggest that a bachelor's degree and entry-level licensure are sufficient preparation for all social work practice, they overlook the increasingly complex environments in which social workers operate. Clinical behavioral health, integrated healthcare, child welfare, school social work, substance use treatment, and leadership roles, to name just a few, all require advanced knowledge and specialized skills that graduate education provides.

At a time when Arkansas and the nation face growing behavioral health needs, workforce shortages, and increasing demand for services, limiting access to graduate education sends the wrong message. We need more social workers, not less. We need a stronger pipeline into advanced practice, not additional barriers.

The workforce data tells a clear story. Demand for social workers continues to rise across healthcare, behavioral health, aging services, schools, and child welfare systems. Rural communities face persistent shortages of licensed and advanced providers. In fact, some counties in Arkansas do not have a single LCSW registered with the Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board. The number of Healthcare organizations seeking professionals who can address social determinants of health, provide clinical therapy, coordinate care, and improve health and behavioral outcomes is rapidly expanding in a perpetual state of workforce shortages. Current behavioral health providers and social workers are struggling to meet growing demand amid ongoing acute mental health and substance use crises. These challenges will not be solved by reducing access to advanced social work education.

As educators and administrators, however, our response cannot be limited to advocacy alone.

This moment calls on Schools and Programs of Social Work to do what our profession has always done: adapt, innovate, and meet people where they are. Across Arkansas and the country, programs are already exploring creative solutions to reduce barriers for students while maintaining educational excellence. These efforts include expanding part-time degree pathways, increasing online program options, supporting paid practica, creating more flexible employment-based placements, reviewing curriculum and reducing credit hour requirements, and pursuing philanthropic and grant funding to offset educational costs.

These solutions are not about lowering standards in graduate education. They are about removing unnecessary obstacles while preserving the rigor, competence, and ethical foundation that define social work education.

Social work has never been defined solely by a federal classification. We are defined by our accreditation standards, our code of ethics, our licensure requirements, and our commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities. Most importantly, we are defined by the impact we make every day. 

The social work profession now finds itself at a familiar crossroads. We must continue advocating for policies that recognize social work as the professional discipline it is. At the same time, we must ensure that today's students, and tomorrow's workforce, can access the education necessary to meet society's most pressing challenges.

The question before us is not whether social work is a profession. Social work IS a profession. The question is whether we are willing to demonstrate, once again, why society cannot function without the profession. And if history is any guide, the answer is clear: we will advocate, we will innovate, and we will continue preparing the next generation of social workers to enter and work in the profession. Because social work was built for this moment and the people who depend on us cannot afford for us to step back now.

Johanna Thomas, Ph.D., LCSW is director of the School of Social Work at the University of Arkansas.