A new Senate bill would pay aspiring teachers to tutor in high-need schools.

The Partnering Aspiring Teachers with High-Need Schools to Tutor Act would enhance access to high-dosage tutoring in underserved areas by creating a $500 million grant program. The program will encourage partnerships between teacher prep programs, K-12 schools, colleges, and even community organizations to offer high-dosage tutoring and small-group instruction in high-need schools and low-income communities.

Under the bill, tutoring would qualify as national service and count towards loan repayment programs for the tutors.

High-dosage tutoring is generally defined as 1 on 1, or small-group instruction in a specific area, multiple times a week. High-dosage tutoring has been shown nationally to be one of the few successful methods of combating learning loss associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill has bipartisan support.