A Small
Step Forward For Loan Forgiveness For Social Workers
September 16, 2005
Update on Action in the House of Representatives
For the first time in what has become a very lengthy process
for reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA), provisions
to create a new small loan forgiveness program for social workers
who work in child welfare has been incorporated into the House
version of the reauthorization bill, the College Access and
Opportunity Act (HR 609).
The new provisions amend a section in the bill that provides
loan forgiveness to named and unnamed professionals in "areas
of national need." The original list of such professionals
did not specifically mention social workers, although social
workers could qualify in a catch-all category that includes "an
individual who is employed [in an] area that suffers from a
critical lack of qualified personnel," as determined by
the Secretary of Education. Social workers who work in child
welfare were added by an amendment offered by Rep. Raul Grijalva
(D-AZ). The amendment was accepted by voice vote.
The "national need" program would forgive up to
$5,000 of student loan debt after five years of employment.
Other eligible professionals in the original language include
early childhood educators, nurses, foreign language specialists,
and speech-language pathologists. Other professionals added
by the Grijalva amendment, in addition to social workers in
child welfare, are librarians, first responders, and bilingual
education teachers. New appropriations (funding) would be needed
to implement the program, which in the current environment
may prove even more challenging than getting the program authorized
(approved).
The House Education and Workforce Committee approved the
College Access and Opportunity Act (HR 609) on July 22, 2005
. The next step in the process is for the bill to be considered
on the floor by the full House of Representatives. No date
for its consideration has been set.
Update on Action in the Senate
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
(HELP) approved its version of the HEA reauthorization bill,
the Higher Education Amendments (S. 1614) on September 8, 2005
. S. 1614 as introduced, did not include any new loan forgiveness
provisions, and by prior agreement, no amendments were offered
during committee consideration. The Committee approved the
bill unanimously.
Although the bill does not include any new loan forgiveness
provisions, it does include a provision that could assist social
workers in repaying loans. The provision, which was supported
by NASW, amends the current Income Contingent Repayment (ICR)
program. Under the ICR, graduates pay a percentage of their
income (around 20 percent) for 25 years; after 25 years, any
remaining balance is forgiven. The new provision, authored
by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), would shorten the repayment period
to 10 years for borrowers with jobs in the "public sector."
Public sector is defined as emergency management, government,
public safety, law enforcement, public health, education (including
early childhood education), and public interest legal services.
The Senate bill is awaiting floor action by the full Senate.
No date has yet been set for its consideration.
Other Senate News on Loan Forgiveness
Additional legislation has been introduced in the Senate
by Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) to provide loan forgiveness for
social workers in child welfare. Sen. DeWine, in partnership
with Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced both a stand-alone
bill, the Child Protective Services Student Loan Forgiveness
Act (S. 1431), and a second bill, the WE CARE Kids: Working
to Enhance Courts for At-risk and Endangered Kids Act (S. 1679),
that includes not only loan forgiveness for social workers
in child welfare, but also attorneys who represent abused and
neglected children, along with provisions designed to improve
the functioning of courts that deal with child welfare cases.
Analysis & Next Steps
The new provisions in both the House (HR 609) and Senate
(S 1614) bills are small compared to the need. However, given
the extremely difficult nature of the task, they do represent
a victory. Thanks to all who added their voice to our advocacy.
We would not have gotten this far without a strong collective
effort, nor without the leadership of Rep. Grijalva and Rep.
Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), the original House sponsor of
legislation providing loan forgiveness to social workers in
child welfare, or without support from Sens. Kennedy, DeWine,
and Rockefeller.
NASW will need your continued assistance as we work on possible
amendments to S. 1614 when it is considered on the Senate floor.
Amendments could include Sen. DeWine's bill to provide loan
forgiveness for social workers in child welfare and/or one
to expand the Income Contingent Repayment program to include
professionals who work in private, non-profit organizations
which are designated as 501(c)(3)s under the tax code.
If we are successful, and the provisions remain in the bill
throughout the remainder of the legislative process, and the
President signs the bill into law, we will have a good start,
but will be far from finished. First we will have to double
our efforts to get the loan forgiveness provision funded and
then work to ensure that social workers receive their fair
share.
One step at a time ...
AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY!
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