Higher Education Reauthorization Bill Goes to President with School Counselor Loan Provision

Before adjourning for its August recess, Congress passed H.R. 4137, legislation to reauthorize programs under the Higher Education Act. The legislation includes language establishing a loan assistance program for individuals-including school counselors!-working in high-need areas. The legislation now heads to the president for his signature.

Under the bill, loan assistance would be available for individuals employed as school counselors or in one of more than a dozen other areas of national need. In order to be eligible for assistance under the program, school counselors would need to be employed full time in a school in which more than 30 percent of the school's enrollment consists of children from low-income families. To find out if the school that employs you is classified as low-income school, check the U.S. Department of Education's online database.

Note that the program will not be implemented for some time. The bill must first be signed into law by the president, and regulations must be issued by the U.S. Department of Education to implement the law. Following this, Congress must appropriate money for the program. Watch ACAeNews for details. ACA has long been pushing for federal support to increase the number of counselors in our school and communities, and is pleased that these efforts have helped result in passage of this bill.