ASCP, BOC Working to Advance Student Loan Forgiveness

Recently, ASCP and the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) voiced strong support for federal legislation to provide student loan forgiveness/support for laboratory and other healthcare professionals engaged in the fight against COVID-19. The measure, known as the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, was introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). It provides student loan forgiveness and repayment benefits for healthcare workers engaged in the fight against COVID-19. The measure includes provisions specifically for laboratory testing personnel.

While providing strong support for the measure, ASCP and the BOC offered several technical suggestions to improve the measure. In a May 26 letter to Representative Maloney, ASCP and the BOC urged that the measure be clarified to ensure that phlebotomists and other laboratory professionals who may collect, handle or process patient specimens but may not be performing COVID-19 testing are also able to benefit from the measure, as they too can be at high risk of infection. ASCP and the BOC also requested that the measure extend benefits to laboratory professionals who are working to research and develop laboratory tests for COVID-19.

Representative Maloney’s legislation is not the only recent measure providing relief from student loans. In addition, ASCP supported several provisions of the HEROES Act, which was approved by the House of Representative in May 15. The HEROES Act would provide student loan relief, though limited in scope, as well as $300 million to provide hazard pay for frontline healthcare professionals. The measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate. When ASCP called for the development of a National Testing Strategy, two of the policy recommendations we outlined would provide student loan forgiveness/relief and hazard pay for healthcare professionals.

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