FROM THE OFFICE
OF THE DEAN

Dear GSS Community,

Happy summer! 

This spring, GSS marked the end of another amazing academic year! On May 19th, we celebrated the graduation with more than five hundred (500) students. It was an inspirational (albeit hot!) day, as we heard from the remarkable Sister Helen Prejean, who told our graduates that, as social workers, they will “be the face of love” for individuals, families, and communities during their most vulnerable moments — and they must serve this role even when their tenacity is tested. I know you know exactly what Sister Helen was talking about, and for that I am eternally grateful. 

This year, amid the usual busyness of the fall and spring semesters, GSS and all of social work education have grappled with the looming implications of changes to federal student loan policies. The changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, courtesy of the Trump Administration’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Most significant for MSW students will be the elimination of Graduate PLUS loans and Loan Forgiveness programs. 

As so many of our alumni know firsthand, access to federal loans is essential for most of our students. Without them, earning an MSW would be simply out of reach for countless individuals who want nothing more than to pursue their passion and live their values. These loans provide more than mere funding for an education. They empower the next generation of social workers to dedicate their lives to creating meaningful, lasting change in our communities.

In response to the drastic cuts in financial aid, I have worked hard to ensure social work education and Fordham are represented in the national policy conversation. These efforts have included:

• At the invitation of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), I joined five other social work deans to directly lobby nine members of Congress and their staff about the negative impact these cuts will have on health care, the workforce, and ultimately our communities.

• On February 19, 2026, I participated in a university roundtable with Representatives Ritchie Torres and George Latimer, as well as representatives from several regional professional degree programs, to discuss advocacy strategies to address reductions in financial aid.

• I served as an expert panelist for a live-streamed national presentation hosted by Social Workers for Justice to discuss how schools of social work and professional organizations across the country are responding. Congressman Torres provided the opening address.

GSS also took action within our own institution to make an MSW education more accessible. Under the new legislation, individuals who borrow Grad PLUS loans before the July 1 cutoff date are “grandparented” under the old borrowing rules for the entirety of their degree or three years, whichever comes first. Recognizing that national advocacy takes time, I worked with our Assistant Dean of Admissions and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to create an immediate, practical solution we called the "Fordham MSW Summer Jumpstart Program."

GSS already has a year-round Online MSW program. The Jumpstart effort was developed to attract fall 2026 full-time, on-campus applicants and offer them an early summer start. Fall students can take two courses during the May or June “Jumpstart” sessions, enabling them to secure and retain their Graduate PLUS loans before the July 1, 2026, elimination deadline. The Jumpstart program has been extremely successful so far, with more than 125 students enrolled.

This initiative has garnered national attention, highlighting Fordham as the only social work school in the country to offer an immediate innovation to mitigate the impact of federal aid cuts. I spoke with Inside Higher Education in April about it for the article “Should Graduate Students Start Early to Access Grad PLUS Loans?” 

I’m grateful and proud to lead an institution willing to be nimble in the face of uncertainty. Our faculty, staff, and administration come to work every day for one reason: to help students become the best social workers they can be. Because helping others is what social workers do. 

I hope you enjoy this issue of The Social Worker.

All my best,
Debra M. McPhee, Ph.D.
Dean / Professor
Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service