Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2025, seeks to establish a program designed to significantly increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health services providers . The Secretary of Education is authorized to implement this program, fostering collaborations between the federal government and eligible graduate institutions across the nation. Under the program, eligible graduate institutions can enter into agreements with the Secretary to contribute towards the cost of attendance for participating students. These institutional contributions will be matched by federal funds, covering up to 50 percent of a student's attendance costs. The agreements will specify how institutions contribute, the maximum amount per student, and the total number of students supported annually. A key provision requires participating institutions to prioritize students who, as undergraduates, received Federal Pell Grants or attended specific types of institutions. The Secretary is also tasked with conducting outreach to these prioritized students and maintaining a public, updated list of participating graduate institutions on the Department of Education's website. The program focuses on graduate degrees in fields such as school psychology , school counseling , and school social work , preparing students for state licensing and certification examinations.