The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1963 to provide affordable access to higher education for PA students and families. Through the years, PHEAA has evolved into one of the nation’s leading providers of student financial aid services, including the Commonwealth’s state-based student loan program—PA Forward.

To that end, PHEAA is now accepting applications from local education agencies (LEA) interested in participating in the PA Mental Health Education Learning Program in Schools (PA HELPS), a state-funded program to support Pennsylvania students with completing internships required for certification and employment as a school nurse, school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist.

The funds are awarded and disbursed to the LEA where the student completes their internship.

To be considered for PA HELPS an LEA must:
-Be located in Pennsylvania;
-Be a school district, intermediate unit, area career and technical school, charter school, regional charter school, or cyber charter school;
-Complete and execute a PA HELPS LEA Application and Agreement;
-Provide PHEAA with a copy of the agreement establishing the internship between the LEA and the school the intern is attending for their Educational Specialist Preparation Program;
-Employ a site supervisor for the intern that holds a certification in the same field that the intern is pursuing; and
​-Use 100% of the awarded funds to compensate the intern for their internship.

All LEAs are encouraged to apply.

For more information about the application process and student eligibility, please visit www.pheaa.org/PAHELPS.