Federal funds to train more school counselors and psychologists
S. 1895 — Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act · Filed by Todd Young (R-IN) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced May 22, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a federal matching-grant program where the Department of Education partners with graduate schools to help pay for students pursuing degrees in school-based mental health fields (school counseling, psychology, social work, etc.). The government will match up to 50% of tuition costs if the graduate institution matches the same amount, with priority given to students who received Pell Grants as undergraduates. The program is funded at $20–50 million annually through 2030 and requires participating schools to report outcomes.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a federal-institutional matching grant to increase the supply of school-based mental health professionals. It is a straightforward workforce-development and education subsidy with a clear public-health objective.
What the text implies
- The program's success depends on graduate institutions' willingness to match federal funds; schools with limited endowments or in lower-income regions may struggle to participate, potentially widening geographic disparities in mental health service access.
- By prioritizing Pell Grant recipients, the bill may inadvertently create incentives for graduate programs to recruit lower-income students, which could affect program selectivity and peer composition in ways not explicitly addressed.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
graduate institutions offering school-based mental health programs; students pursuing degrees in school counseling, psychology, and social work