Las Vegas, NV – Students preparing for careers in phlebotomy may soon find fewer training programs eligible for federal financial aid, as sweeping changes to Title IV rules begin taking effect in 2026. The updates disproportionately impact short-term healthcare certifications—one of the most common entry points into phlebotomy.
According to federal guidance, phlebotomy courses under 150 clock hours, exam-preparation programs, non-credit trainings, and classes offered by unaccredited institutions are not eligible for federal student aid. Programs that fall between 150 and 600 hours must now qualify under the new Workforce Pell guidelines, which require at least a 70% completion rate, 70% job placement rate, and tuition costs that do not exceed the value-added earnings of prior graduates.
Beginning July 1, 2026, phlebotomy programs could also lose access to federal Direct Loans if graduates earn less than workers with only a high school diploma, under the newly created low earnings outcomes measure applied to all undergraduate certificate programs.
These changes, combined with tighter lifetime borrowing limits and reduced options for repayment flexibility, may push students toward private loans or prevent some from enrolling at all—an issue experts warn could worsen staffing shortages in hospitals and labs.
