Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that more than $8 million in funding has been dedicated to increasing the pipeline of school psychologists and delivering mental health services to students in high-need schools across the Commonwealth through the Prioritizing Attracting, Preparing, and Retaining School Psychologists: Delivering Mental Health Services to Students in High-Need LEAs initiative.
“Students having access to caring, highly qualified mental health professionals at school reduces barriers to academic growth,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “This investment will help expand Pennsylvania’s pipeline of school psychologists by removing financial barriers for interns and encouraging additional talented professionals to serve in high-need communities. The result is simple, but powerful: more students getting the support they need, when and where they need it.”
In its first year, the program will provide funding for up to 75 school psychology graduate interns working in schools, with plans to expand the number of supported interns each year of the grant. Eligible interns completing their placements in identified high-need school districts may receive a stipend, waived Praxis exam fees, and additional training and professional development. So far, 42 interns have been placed in 22 schools across the Commonwealth. View the list of placements on this interactive map.
The grant program will strengthen Pennsylvania’s pipeline of credentialed school psychologists by reducing financial barriers to certification, improving recruitment and placement, and increasing retention in critical, underserved settings. By addressing the systemic barriers to recruitment and retention, specifically the financial burden on interns and the geographic isolation of rural districts, the program will stabilize the provider pipeline and increase student access to early intervention and intensive mental health services.
“With so many kids in our communities facing mental health challenges, we need to be building a stronger pipeline of school psychologists to help,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio. “I’ll keep working to bring federal money like this back home to Pennsylvania to strengthen our mental health staffing in schools and make sure our kids are supported.”
Interns are identified by their graduate training programs based on their placements in high-need school districts across Pennsylvania. The program is funded by a federal grant from the US Department of Education, which will help the Commonwealth recruit and retain individuals from both Pennsylvania and other states, increasing the overall number of school psychologists who complete internships here and stay here.
"The most important thing we can do is address the ongoing mental health crisis among kids and get them more help. That simply doesn't happen without investing in school psychologists,” said State Representative Mike Schlossberg. “With this funding, Pennsylvania and the Shapiro administration can take one more desperately needed step to ensure that our kids have someone to talk to when they are at their worst moment. Now, the legislature needs to add to this commitment by - once again - approving $100 million in school-based mental health dollars."
Governor Shapiro believes that growing Pennsylvania’s economy and creating opportunity for future generations starts in the classroom. Over the past three years, the Shapiro Administration has invested more than $300 million in student mental health and well-being, with more than $100 million in the 2026-27 budget for school safety and mental health support.
The budget also continues funding universal free breakfast, menstrual hygiene products at no cost to students, school infrastructure repairs, and school safety and mental health supports. Over 800 schools have expanded mental health services, and more than 200 counselors have been hired since the Shapiro Administration began.