Federal Student Loans and Architects: What You Need to Know

AIAU25-ADV025

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1 LU

Course expires on: 12/14/2026

Architect$0

Associate$0

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Honorary$0

Intl Associate$0

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$15

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Description

Thursday, January 8, 2026 | 2-3pm ET

Federal student loan policy plays a significant role in shaping access to architectural education, early-career financial stability, and long-term workforce sustainability within the profession. As federal policies evolve, architects, firm leaders, and educators must understand how changes to borrowing limits, degree classifications, and repayment programs affect students, employees, and hiring pipelines. This course provides a comprehensive overview of current federal student loan structures and recent policy changes, with specific focus on their relevance to architectural education and practice. Participants will examine how these changes influence affordability of professional degrees, repayment strategies for existing borrowers, and firm-level considerations related to recruitment, retention, and career advancement. While individual loan counseling is outside the scope of this session, attendees will leave with a clear framework for evaluating impacts and identifying reliable resources for further guidance.

Learning Objectives

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Summarize current federal student loan structures and recent policy changes relevant to architectural education and practice.

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Explain how changes to degree classifications and federal borrowing limits may affect architecture students and emerging professionals.

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Describe available income-driven repayment options for federal student loan borrowers and how recent policy shifts affect repayment and forgiveness pathways.

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Evaluate how federal student loan policies may influence firm hiring strategies, workforce planning, and long-term professional development in architecture.

Instructors

Brittany Meyer

Brittany Meyer serves as Senior Director of Public Policy at the American Institute of Architects, where she leads federal advocacy efforts on priority issues including affordable housing, climate-responsive building standards, and codes modernization.

Prior to joining AIA, Brittany launched the American Lung Association's first-ever national policy program focused on indoor air quality, where she served as National Director of Policy for Healthy Indoor Air. While there, she established a strategic framework that aligned public health, housing, and environmental justice goals while commenting on green building and electrification rules affecting both residential and commercial buildings. Prior to that, she worked at organizations such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Society for Neuroscience, where she developed expertise in working with Congress and federal agencies on health, science and disease related issues.

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Michael J. Monti

PhD, Hon.AIA, NOMA

Michael J. Monti has served as executive director of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture since 2004. Monti holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University and doctorate in Philosophy, Interpretation, Culture from Binghamton University.

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