Student Loan Forgiveness Bill Proposed In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — A new student loan forgiveness bill that will soon be put forth in the Pennsylvania legislature aims to ease the burden of debt on individuals who satisfy certain conditions or criteria.

The bill, announced recently by State Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Allegheny), would provide relief for a portion of loans for those in specific, high-need industries: mental health, intellectual disability, and drug and alcohol treatment services.

"The need for appropriate and accessible community-based mental health, intellectual disability, and substance use disorder services has been a pressing issue for many years," DeLuca wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum. "Due to low wages and high turnover, there is a critical shortage of direct care professionals to provide these services."

DeLuca says that because both county agencies and private practices struggle to find qualified workers in these fields, a student loan forgiveness program could serve as a powerful incentive.

"Many of these professionals cannot even begin to work in these fields unless they receive higher education," he added. "For many people, this means that they must take out student loans."

DeLuca, the chair of the House Insurance Committee, has not yet formally introduced the bill. It's unclear what level of support it may have from the Republican-controlled legislature.