Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2025

This bill creates a new program to grow the number of mental health staff in schools by helping pay for graduate school. Colleges with eligible graduate programs can sign agreements with the Department of Education. For each student they support with aid, the Department can match the school’s help so that up to half of the student’s cost of attendance is covered. The Department will also post a public list of participating colleges and run outreach about the program. Colleges must give priority to students who received a Federal Pell Grant as undergraduates or who attended certain federally designated institutions, when choosing who gets this support .

Key points

• Who is affected: Graduate students training in school-based mental health fields, and the colleges that enroll them. The goal is to increase the number of mental health providers working in schools.
• What changes: Matching funds up to 50% of a student’s cost of attendance; formal agreements with colleges; a public list of participating schools; outreach and priority for Pell Grant recipients and students from certain designated colleges.
• When: No specific start date is stated in the text provided.