M.D./M.P.H. Program

Notes:

•  All applying students must obtain a letter from the Office of Student Affairs confirming both good academic standing and readiness to participate in the program.
• Students CANNOT be simultaneously enrolled in both programs.
• Students must submit a FERPA authorization form before beginning the MPH program.

Process for MS1 Applicants

CUNY Application Deadline: April 1

• Submit fast-track application form
  • Must apply through dedicated Einstein portal on CUNY SPH site
  • Completed by student
  • Does not require transcripts
  • Einstein will confirm applicant is in good academic standing

Applicants beginning their MPH year  after M3 completion:

CUNY Application Deadline: April 1 
Application to CUNY SPH requires:

• Update application form (if returning after starting as an M1)
• Submission of unofficial Einstein transcript
• Good academic standing at Einstein and 3.7 GPA in online CUNY SPH courses (if returning after starting as an M1 with online summer courses)

Enrollment requirements are:

• Meeting with an Einstein dean of students and a CUNY SPH advisor upon enrollment into the M.P.H. program to confirm degree requirements, course sequencing, and research plans
• A minimum of once-per-semester meetings thereafter

Important Information About Federal Student Loans

The federal government changed how graduate and professional students borrow federal loans under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), passed in 2025. Some of these changes may affect students who participate in the 4+1 MD/MPH program. Please read this section carefully before applying, and reach out to the Office of Student Finance with any questions.

What changed on July 1, 2026

For students who first borrow a federal student loan on or after July 1, 2026:

• Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new graduate and professional student borrowers.
• Direct Unsubsidized loans for medical students are capped at $50,000 per academic year and $200,000 in total.
• A lifetime federal student loan cap of $257,500 applies across all federal student loans.
• The health-professions exception that historically gave medical students higher borrowing room is no longer available to new borrowers.

For most medical students, these changes meaningfully reduce the federal funding available to cover the full cost of medical education.

The "legacy" protection — and how it can be lost

Students who borrowed a federal loan at Einstein before July 1, 2026, are considered legacy borrowers (sometimes called "interim exception" borrowers). Legacy borrowers can continue borrowing under the prior, more generous rules — including Grad PLUS — for up to three more academic years, or until they complete the MD, whichever comes first.

Legacy status is conditional. The Department of Education ends a student's legacy status if any of the following occurs:

• The student takes a leave of absence longer than 180 days in a 12-month period.
• The student withdraws or has a break in enrollment.
• The student enrolls in a different program of study.
• The student enrolls at a different institution.

Once legacy status is lost, it cannot be restored. The student returns to federal borrowing under the new rules described above, and any Grad PLUS amounts previously borrowed count toward the new $257,500 lifetime cap.

What this could mean for 4+1 MD/MPH participants

The 4+1 program includes a year of full-time MPH coursework at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, during which students are admitted to and matriculated in CUNY's MPH program and earn an MPH credential conferred by CUNY.

Based on our current reading of the OBBBA final rule, students who complete this MPH year on or after July 1, 2026, are likely to lose their legacy borrowing status. When they return to Einstein for their final year of medical school, they would borrow under the new rules — without access to Grad PLUS, within the new annual and lifetime caps, and with any prior Grad PLUS borrowing counted against the lifetime limit.

For affected students, this can mean a meaningful funding gap in the final year of medical school that must be covered through private loans, family resources, or institutional aid. Depending on individual cost of attendance and borrowing to date, the gap can be substantial.

What this does not affect

• Summer SPH coursework between the M1 and M2 years, which is taken on a non-matriculated basis, does not by itself trigger this issue.
• Students who completed the MPH year before July 1, 2026 are not affected by the OBBBA changes going forward. Their existing federal loan obligations are unchanged.
• Students entering Einstein on or after July 1, 2026 are subject to the new federal loan rules from day one regardless of program track. The legacy framework does not apply to them, though the MPH year remains a financial planning consideration.

What we are doing

Einstein and CUNY/SPH are actively reviewing the program structure in light of OBBBA, and the Office of Student Finance is seeking formal guidance from the Department of Education on how the rules apply to this program. We will update this page as additional guidance becomes available.

What you should do before applying

If you are considering the 4+1 MD/MPH program, we strongly encourage you to contact the Einstein Office of Student Finance for an individual financial planning conversation before applying. We can model your projected borrowing under both current rules and the post-OBBBA framework so that you can make a fully informed decision about whether this program is the right fit for your circumstances.