TX SB1849

Adds certified school counselors to the list of mental health professionals eligible for the state's education loan repayment assistance program under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

School counselors must be employed by a school district or open-enrollment charter school located in a federally designated mental health professional shortage area, or a public school receiving Title I federal funding

Sets maximum loan repayment assistance for school counselors at $80,000 if they hold a doctoral degree in counseling, or $40,000 for those without a doctoral degree

Maintains priority funding structure where licensed marriage and family therapists receive grants only after all other eligible mental health professionals (including the newly added school counselors) have been funded

Applies to applications submitted on or after September 1, 2025, with the effective date of September 1, 2025