Sponsors (3)
The bill aims to increase the number of school psychologists and improve student access in high‑need K–12 schools by providing targeted grants and recipient protections, at the cost of new federal spending, limited coverage of living expenses, eligibility and service‑commitment constraints on trainees, and additional administrative burdens.
Students in school psychology training programs and K–12 pupils in high‑need schools: the bill funds trainee support tied to service in designated high‑need schools, which should increase the number of school psychologists serving underserved schools and improve student access to mental‑health and behavioral services.
Students training to become school psychologists: eligible trainees receive up to $8,000 per academic year (maximum $16,000), lowering their direct education costs and reducing loan burden while in training.
Recipients whose grants convert to loans: the bill provides procedural protections (reconsideration, discharge of improper conversions, reimbursement, and removal of adverse credit reporting) that reduce unfair financial harm from improper loan conversions.
Recipients (trainees): the required 4‑year service obligation in a covered school within 8 years can constrain where and how recipients work and, if violated, triggers conversion of grant funds into a loan with interest charged retroactively, risking significant financial liability.
Taxpayers and federal budget: the program creates a new federally funded grant program with appropriations beginning the year after enactment but no fixed funding level, increasing potential federal spending and budgetary uncertainty for taxpayers.
Low‑income and off‑campus students: grants are limited to tuition, fees, and institution‑owned room and board, leaving recipients responsible for uncovered expenses (off‑campus housing, books, living costs) that may still create financial barriers to completing training.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a federal grant program paying eligible students up to $8,000/year (subject to appropriations) with lifetime caps and payment rules to cover tuition, fees, and institution-owned room and board.
Introduced May 20, 2025 by Josh S. Gottheimer · Last progress May 20, 2025
Creates a new federal grant program that pays eligible students at eligible institutions up to $8,000 per year while they remain in an approved eligibility period, subject to appropriations. Payments are routed to institutions (with at least 85% of funds advanced before each payment period unless a different system is published) and may be limited to tuition, fees, and institution-owned room and board; part-time awards are reduced pro rata and total federal aid cannot exceed the institution’s cost of attendance.