To expand the teacher loan forgiveness provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include speech-language pathologists.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Our Students Communicate Act 
of 2007''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF LOAN FORGIVENESS TO SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS.

    (a) FFEL Loans.--
            (1) Forgiveness for speech-language pathologists 
        authorized.--Section 428J(b)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(b)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) has been employed for 5 consecutive complete school 
        years--
                    ``(A) as a full-time teacher--
                            ``(i) in a school that qualifies under 
                        section 465(a)(2)(A) for loan cancellation for 
                        Perkins loan recipients who teach in such 
                        schools; and
                            ``(ii) if employed as an elementary school 
                        or secondary school teacher, who is highly 
                        qualified as defined in section 9101 of the 
                        Elementary Secondary Education Act of 1965, or 
                        meets the requirements of subsection (g)(3); or
                    ``(B) as a full-time speech-language pathologist--
                            ``(i) to perform services principally in a 
                        school described in subparagraph (A)(i); and
                            ``(ii) who has, at a minimum, a graduate 
                        degree in speech-language pathology, or 
                        communication sciences and disorders; and''.
            (2) Additional amounts for speech-language pathologists.--
        Section 428J(c)(3) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(c)(3)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in the header, by inserting before the period 
                ``, and speech-language pathologists'';
                    (B) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (A);
                    (C) by striking the period at the end of 
                subparagraph (B) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(C) a speech-language pathologist who meets the 
                requirements of subsection (b).''.
    (b) Direct Loans.--
            (1) Forgiveness for speech-language pathologists 
        authorized.--Section 460(b)(1)(A) of the Higher Education Act 
        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j(b)(1)(A)) is amended to read as 
        follows:
                    ``(A) has been employed for 5 consecutive complete 
                school years--
                            ``(i) as a full-time teacher--
                                    ``(I) in a school that qualifies 
                                under section 465(a)(2)(A) for loan 
                                cancellation for Perkins loan 
                                recipients who teach in such schools; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) if employed as an elementary 
                                school or secondary school teacher, who 
                                is highly qualified as defined in 
                                section 9101 of the Elementary 
                                Secondary Education Act of 1965, or 
                                meets the requirements of subsection 
                                (g)(3); or
                            ``(ii) as a full-time speech-language 
                        pathologist--
                                    ``(I) to perform services 
                                principally in a school described in 
                                clause (i)(I); and
                                    ``(II) who has, at a minimum, a 
                                graduate degree in speech-language 
                                pathology, or communication sciences 
                                and disorders; and''.
            (2) Additional amounts for speech-language pathologists.--
        Section 460(c)(3) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087j(c)(3)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in the header, by inserting before the period 
                ``, and speech-language pathologists'';
                    (B) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (A);
                    (C) by striking the period at the end of 
                subparagraph (B) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(C) a speech-language pathologist who meets the 
                requirements of subsection (b).''.
    (c) New Borrower Eligibility.--An individual who is a speech-
language pathologist shall not qualify under the amendments made by 
this section unless such individual is a new borrower (as such term is 
defined in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1003)) on or after October 1, 2007.

Summary: Helping Our Students Communicate Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to assume or cancel loans made under the Federal Family Education Loan or the Direct Loan programs to individuals who have been employed for five consecutive complete school years as full-time speech-language pathologists: (1) principally at elementary and secondary schools whose enrollment of disadvantaged students exceeds 30 and whose local educational agencies are eligible for funding under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. And (2) have at least a graduate degree in speech-language pathology, or communication sciences and disorders. Caps loan forgiveness at $17,500. Limits the benefits of this Act to new borrowers on or after October 1, 2007.