On July 1, the Board of Therapeutic Massage (Board) issued an emergency rule in the Missouri Register (page 952) to raise the state’s minimum massage education hours from 500 to 625. This change applies to all Missouri entry-level programs and apprenticeships/mentorships.
Due to changes issued last fall in the federal Gainful Employment rules, aid-eligible schools would not have been able to offer programs in excess of the 500-hour state requirement and maintain federal aid eligibility as of July 1—meaning students entering massage programs or mentorships would no longer qualify for federal aid.
The Board requested a change to minimum clock-hour massage education to solve this problem. The new state licensing requirement of 625 hours will allow programs at this length to maintain aid eligibility under the new Federal Title IV regulations. Students who qualify for federal grants and loans will continue to meet requirements to receive aid.
The Board stated students would have been deprived of loans, schools may have closed, and the massage therapist labor shortage could have been exacerbated if the emergency rule was not amended by July 1. In addition, Missouri may have seen restricted access to education for disadvantaged students.
The emergency rule is effective immediately and expires February 27, 2025. It is ABMP’s understanding that the Board is working to create a permanent rule to cement these changes before this emergency rule expires. If you have questions, please reach out to the Board at massagether@pr.mo.gov.