This bill, known as the "Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act," seeks to enhance the availability of school-based mental health services providers in low-income local educational agencies . It authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to eligible partnerships , which consist of one or more low-income local educational agencies and eligible graduate institutions. These grants are designed to fund pipeline programs that train, place, and retain mental health professionals in schools with significant needs. To receive a grant, an eligible graduate institution must submit an application detailing an assessment of current provider-to-student ratios and a comprehensive plan for their pipeline program. A peer review panel, comprising experts from various mental health and education fields, will evaluate applications and make recommendations to the Secretary. Priority for grants will be given to partnerships serving schools with higher numbers of low-income students, agencies with fewer existing mental health providers, and institutions offering a wider range of graduate programs in these fields. Grant funds can be utilized for various activities, including covering administrative costs for graduate student placements and offering coursework on-site at schools. Funds can also support the salaries of new graduates for up to three years, helping to increase the number of providers and work towards recommended student support personnel target ratios . Other uses include recruiting culturally diverse graduate students, hiring faculty to expand training capacity, and developing coursework focused on the unique needs of students in low-income communities, including those who are English language learners, homeless, or have experienced trauma. Beyond the grant program, the bill establishes a student loan repayment program for school-based mental health services providers employed by low-income local educational agencies. Eligible individuals agree to a five-year period of consecutive employment, receiving one-fifth of their eligible loan principal and interest repaid annually for the first four years, with the remainder paid in the fifth year, up to a maximum of $200,000. This program allows for concurrent benefits with the public service loan forgiveness program, further incentivizing service in high-need areas. Finally, the bill mandates a study to develop a formula for future designation of regions with shortages of school-based mental health services providers. This formula will consider factors such as the number of youth, poverty rates, special education eligibility, youth crime rates, and current provider numbers. The Secretary is also required to publish annual reports from grant recipients and conduct evaluations to assess the program's effectiveness and compare the impact of various funded activities.