Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Introduced
Summary
Expand the school-based mental health workforce by funding graduate students. This bill would create the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program to help pay graduate students' cost of attendance when they train to become school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, or other school-based mental health providers.
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- Students: Participating graduate students could have up to 50% of their cost of attendance paid when an eligible institution matches that amount. Institutions set per-student and per-year caps on their contributions.
- Graduate institutions: Eligible programs must be accredited in school counseling, school psychology, or school social work, or prepare students for school-based licensure, and enter agreements specifying how they will provide grants or scholarships.
- Low-income and prior Pell recipients: The Secretary must prioritize outreach to students who previously received Federal Pell Grants or attended certain identified institutions.
- K-12 schools and communities: By subsidizing training, the program targets increasing the pipeline of qualified school-based mental health providers for schools.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Matched aid for grad mental health students
If enacted, graduate students in approved school mental health fields could get major help with costs. If your school signs up, the Department of Education could match your school's aid dollar-for-dollar, up to 50% of your cost of attendance. With a full match, school plus Department support could cover up to 100% of your cost of attendance. You would only get the federal share if your school contributes an equal amount.
Eligibility and school limits for mental health grads
If enacted, you would need to be in an eligible graduate program in school counseling, school social work, school psychology, or another approved school-based mental health field. The Department of Education would post a public list of participating schools and do outreach to former Pell Grant recipients and students from listed HEA 371(a) schools. Each school’s agreement would set how aid is paid, the maximum per student, and how many students it can help each year. Schools would have to prioritize former Pell recipients and students from those listed schools.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
ME • D
Sponsored 5/21/2025
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 6/4/2025
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6]
LA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/21/2025
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Sponsored 7/21/2025
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
NM • D
Sponsored 7/25/2025
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 8/1/2025
Gray
CA • D
Sponsored 8/1/2025
Crow
CO • D
Sponsored 8/8/2025
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 9/26/2025
Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
CA • D
Sponsored 11/25/2025
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
OH • D
Sponsored 12/16/2025
Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45]
CA • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
NH • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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