“To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out an early childhood educator loan assistance program, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes an early childhood educator loan repayment program, under which the Secretary of Health and Human Services may enter contracts to repay up to $6,000 per year (for five years of service, not to exceed total loan principal and interest) of an eligible educator's outstanding Federal direct loans incurred for an associate’s degree (including child development associate credential), bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, or combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in early childhood education or a related field, in exchange for five years of service with a qualified employer (i.e., a childcare provider receiving or eligible for vouchers or assistance under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990). The program applies specified provisions of the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (42 U.S.C. 254l-1)—including those relating to applications, recruitment, contract terms, approval processes, payments, and tax liability—and requires annual recertification of eligibility and a report to Congress five years after enactment. Authorizes $25 million for FY2026 through FY2031.
This section directs the Secretary of Education to carry out, beginning not later than 180 days after enactment, a grant program under which the Secretary makes payments to institutions of higher education with qualified early childhood educator programs to enable competitive grants of up to $4,000 per academic year to eligible individuals enrolled full- or part-time in such programs, renewable up to three times for a total of four academic years. Grant recipients must agree to serve as full- or part-time educators in licensed early learning programs for at least one academic year (plus four additional months per renewal) within four years of completing the program, with concurrent service during enrollment counting toward the obligation; failure to comply converts grants to no-interest Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 repayable under income-contingent or income-based plans, subject to a one-year hardship extension. Payments to institutions are advanced at not less than 85% prior to each period for tuition, fees, and necessary materials, with direct payment provisions unspecified.