Wisconsin Legislative Council
AMENDMENT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Memo published: November 2, 2023 Contact: Katie Bender-Olson, Principal Attorney
2023 Assembly Bill 234 Assembly Amendment 2
2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 234
Assembly Bill 234 creates a loan and loan forgiveness program for school psychologists administered by
the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB). Under the bill, a student is eligible for a $10,000 loan each
year for three years if the student: (1) is a Wisconsin resident; (2) is enrolled at least half-time in an
institution of higher education in Wisconsin as a sophomore, junior, or senior; (3) is enrolled in a
program leading to a school psychologist career; and (4) has at least a 3.0 grade point average.
Students who receive a HEAB loan must pay back the loan at an annual interest rate of five percent,
unless they meet additional criteria for loan forgiveness. HEAB must forgive 25 percent of the loan and
interest for each year that a recipient works as a full-time school psychologist in public or private school
in an urbanized area or in a school district in a rural county. The bill creates an appropriation for the
school psychologist loan program but does not provide any funding.
ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 2
Assembly Amendment 2 deletes the appropriation created in the bill and, instead, specifies that HEAB
must include a request for funding for the school psychology loan program as part of its agency request
to the Department of Administration for purposes of the 2025-27 biennial budget bill.
The amendment also modifies the eligibility criteria to qualify for a school psychologist loan. The bill
requires that a student be enrolled at least half-time as a sophomore, junior, or senior in an institution
of higher education in Wisconsin. Assembly Amendment 2 changes the requirement to being enrolled at
least half-time as a graduate student in an institution of higher education in Wisconsin.
BILL HISTORY
Representative Sortwell offered Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Bill 234 on October 30, 2023. On
November 1, 2023, the Assembly Committee on Education adopted Assembly Amendment 2 and passed
Assembly Bill 234, as amended, on a vote of Ayes, 11; Noes, 1.
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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