Summary of the Child Protective
Services Student Loan Forgiveness Act
Introduced:
January 4, 2005
Bill numbers:
House – HR 127
Sponsors:
Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH)
Cosponsors (as of 03/31/05 ): 24
- Julia Carson (D-IN)
- Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
- Gene Green (D-TX)
- Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
- Rush Holt (D-NJ)
- Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
- Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
- Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
- Dale Kildee (D-MI)
- Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
- Barbara Lee (D-CA)
- Betty McCollum (D-MN)
- Jim McDermott (D-WA)
- Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
- Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA)
- Dennis Moore (D-KS)
- Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
- Major Owens (D-NY)
- Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Bobby Rush (D-IL)
- Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
- Diane Watson (D-CA)
- Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Committee with jurisdiction:
Members on this committee will be the key decision-makers
on whether the bill will move forward.
House Education and Workforce Committee - http://www.house.gov/ed_workforce/
- Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), Chair
- Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Ranking Member
Purpose of legislation:
To bring more highly trained individuals into the child welfare
system and to keep them in the system for longer periods of
time.
Demonstration program:
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education is authorized
to create a demonstration program providing loan forgiveness
for graduates with social work degrees who work in child welfare
agencies.
Funding:
$20 million is “authorized” for the demonstration program
in FY 2006 and “such sums as necessary” for FY 2007-2010.
Note : Even if the bill becomes law, Congress would need to
take additional action to fund the program through the appropriations
process.
Eligibility:
- To be eligible, individuals must
- earn a BSW or MSW;
- obtain employment in a public child welfare agency that
administers child welfare programs under Title IV-B, subpart
1 of the Social Security Act, or in a public or private
agency that is under contract with the state to provide
child welfare services; and
- work full time as a social worker for two consecutive
years prior to the year in which loan forgiveness begins.
- Loans under the Stafford and Ford Direct Loan programs
would be eligible for forgiveness. Federal PLUS loans
and Federal Consolidation loans would NOT be eligible.
- Forgiveness would be offered only on loans made after the
date of enactment of the legislation . Older loans
would NOT be eligible for forgiveness.
Forgiveness terms:
- After the third consecutive year of employment, 20 percent
of the total amount of the loan would be forgiven; after
the fourth consecutive year, 30 percent of the total; and
after the fifth consecutive year, 50 percent.
- Eligible individuals may apply for loan repayment after
completing each year of qualifying employment and shall receive
forbearance while working unless the borrower is in deferment.
- Forgiveness would be awarded on a first-come, first-served
basis and be subject to the availability of appropriations.
Special rules:
- Students who return to school after graduation to obtain
a BSW or MSW would be eligible to receive forgiveness for
only two academic years worth of loans.
- Students who receive National Service Awards under the
National and Community Service Act would not be eligible
for the loan forgiveness program.
Evaluation:
The Secretary of Education would be required to award a grant
or contract for an independent evaluation of the impact of
the program on the child welfare services field.
- The evaluation is to determine –
- whether the loan forgiveness program has increased child
welfare workers' education;
- whether the program has contributed to increased time
on the job for child welfare workers, measured by:
- the length of time child welfare workers receiving
loan forgiveness have worked in the child welfare field;
and
- the length of time such workers continue to work in
the field after having met the requirements for loan
forgiveness; and
- whether the program has increased the experience and
quality of child welfare workers and has contributed to
increased performance in the outcomes of child welfare
services in terms of child well-being, permanency, and
safety.
NASW endorsement: NASW provided input on
the legislation and has endorsed its enactment.
For a copy of the bill: Access the Library
of Congress' legislative website at http://thomas.loc.gov
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