Tampa, FL – Radiation Therapy programs, a critical pathway for professionals who administer cancer treatments, will see meaningful changes in federal loan and grant eligibility beginning in 2026. While most full radiation therapy programs operate as accredited associate or bachelor-level degrees, certificate-level offerings and specialty add-on modules fall directly under the federal government’s newly tightened rules.
According to federal guidance, radiation therapy certificates or advanced-skill modules that are unaccredited, non-credit, or below 150 instructional hours cannot receive Title IV funding. Programs between 150 and 600 hours—common for post-primary radiation specialty training—must now meet Workforce Pell standards, requiring a 70% completion rate, 70% job placement rate, and total tuition that does not exceed graduates’ measured value-added earnings three years after completion.
Beginning July 1, 2026, certificate-level radiation therapy programs must also pass the “low earnings outcomes” test. Under this rule, programs lose Direct Loan eligibility if their graduates earn the same or less than adults with only a high school diploma for two out of three measured years. Although radiation therapy wages are generally strong, programs in low-wage markets or those with small graduating cohorts may face compliance challenges.
Students pursuing full degrees will also encounter stricter annual and lifetime federal loan caps.
