In May, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt (POST GRAD) Act. The bill would restore graduate students' eligibility to receive federal direct subsidized loans, eligibility that Congress eliminated in 2011.
The bill would make graduate education more accessible by opening the loan program beyond undergraduates, making graduate students once again eligible for loans that don't accrue interest while students are still in school.
"As our economy progresses, we must treat graduate degrees as a necessity for the workforce, and that means making graduate school more attainable and affordable," said Rep. Chu in a statement, noting the growing need for mental health professionals and other workers with advanced degrees. "But high tuition costs and onerous loans make that degree unattainable for many who are not already wealthy."
APA has endorsed the legislation. "Currently, there are about 110 million Americans living in states that have documented shortages of mental health providers," APA Chief Executive Officer Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, wrote to Rep. Chu. "Your legislation will help provide a solution to this national problem."
The legislation would also increase diversity among the psychology workforce, Evans added, pointing to a recent Urban Institute analysis showing that four-year college graduates from lower-income backgrounds are less likely to go to grad school and finish their degrees than other students.
"While passage of the POST GRAD Act as part of the Higher Education Act reauthorization is uncertain, it is a critical part of our advocacy agenda and opens the door to broader discussions about the importance of supporting graduate education and graduate students," says Jennifer B. Smulson, senior legislative and federal affairs officer in APA's Education Directorate. "The legislation is a reminder to Congress of recent federal disinvestments in graduate study—a trend we seek to reverse." —Rebecca A. Clay
