Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act

This bill creates a new program to help pay for graduate school for people training to work in school mental health, like school counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Colleges can agree to cover part of a student’s costs, and the Department of Education will match that amount, up to half of the student’s cost of attendance. The goal is to bring more trained mental health providers into schools and keep them there . The Department must post a public list of participating schools and do outreach to students who previously received a Federal Pell Grant or attended certain eligible institutions, so more students know about the help available .

Schools that join the program must report each year on how many students they support, how much of tuition is covered, how many students were Pell Grant recipients, and, when available, graduation and job outcomes. There will be an interim report to Congress after two years, and an independent national study will start within four years to see how well the program works . The Department of Education runs the program, and funding is authorized at $20 million in 2026, $30 million in 2027, and $50 million each year from 2028 through 2030 .