Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2007

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2007 with Senators Johnson, Cardin, and Brown on behalf of the folks across America who are in desperate need of access to qualified health care providers. This bill will help bring physical therapists to the rural, frontier and underserved communities of America.

Many rural States have an inadequate number of health professionals, let alone access to physical therapists whose services help shorten the recovery time from injury or surgery, as well as provide noninvasive treatment to conditions that might otherwise end up more severe.

We all know kids who go to school with dreams of becoming a health care professional and serving their communities. But, they graduate with so much debt that they have to take the highest paying job usually in an urban setting--leaving their dreams in the dust. My colleagues and I are offering this bill to help them fulfill that dream of working in underserved areas, often the very same areas they grew up in.

Like many other health care professionals serving in the National Health Service Corps, physical therapy students are more likely to serve in rural areas if it is financially feasible through the loan repayment program that is part of the National Health Service Corps.

The average total costs of tuition and fees for a physical therapist student attending an in-state public or private institution are $26,000 and $64,000 respectively. When they are starting out, they can expect to earn about $51,000 per year. One can easily understand why they would be really tempted to find the highest paying job they can. Despite the health care needs, these jobs are not in places like Culbertson, MT; Martin, SD; Ironton, OH or Denton, MD, where reimbursement and salaries tend to be lower. However, a loan repayment program will make it possible for these committed health care professionals to be able to come into our communities, serve our families and be able to pay off their school loans.

My cosponsors and I think this a very important bill and we welcome our colleagues support. Thank you.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2007 with Senators Johnson, Cardin, and Brown on behalf of the folks across America who are in desperate need of access to qualified health care providers. This bill will help bring physical therapists to the rural, frontier and underserved communities of America.

Many rural States have an inadequate number of health professionals, let alone access to physical therapists whose services help shorten the recovery time from injury or surgery, as well as provide noninvasive treatment to conditions that might otherwise end up more severe.

We all know kids who go to school with dreams of becoming a health care professional and serving their communities. But, they graduate with so much debt that they have to take the highest paying job usually in an urban setting--leaving their dreams in the dust. My colleagues and I are offering this bill to help them fulfill that dream of working in underserved areas, often the very same areas they grew up in.

Like many other health care professionals serving in the National Health Service Corps, physical therapy students are more likely to serve in rural areas if it is financially feasible through the loan repayment program that is part of the National Health Service Corps.

The average total costs of tuition and fees for a physical therapist student attending an in-state public or private institution are $26,000 and $64,000 respectively. When they are starting out, they can expect to earn about $51,000 per year. One can easily understand why they would be really tempted to find the highest paying job they can. Despite the health care needs, these jobs are not in places like Culbertson, MT; Martin, SD; Ironton, OH or Denton, MD, where reimbursement and salaries tend to be lower. However, a loan repayment program will make it possible for these committed health care professionals to be able to come into our communities, serve our families and be able to pay off their school loans.

My cosponsors and I think this a very important bill and we welcome our colleagues support. Thank you.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.