HEROES Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act to allow volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to qualify for student loan forgiveness. It directly affects unpaid volunteers who provide emergency services (like firefighting or medical response) for recognized fire departments, ambulance services, or public safety organizations without being full-time employees of those organizations. The key mechanism establishes new definitions for "qualified volunteer firefighter" and "qualified volunteer EMT," requiring the Secretary of Education to set a minimum volunteer hour threshold (at least equivalent to active membership requirements) and create regulations to track and verify volunteer time. This change expands existing loan forgiveness eligibility to include these volunteer roles, reducing student debt for those serving in community emergency response without formal employment.