CONSTITUENT SERVICES » Page Program

The U.S. House of Representatives offers an exciting opportunity for students to participate as Congressional Pages during their junior year of high school. This unique program gives participants the opportunity to meet students from around the U.S., attend special classes and seminars at the Page School, and serve the country's leaders while working in the House of Representatives. Currently, seventy-two young men and women are appointed by their Member of Congress to serve as Pages in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress offers both a summer Page program and a school year Page program.

Eligibility:

Summer Program
To be eligible for the summer program, applicants must:

be 16 years of age at the time of their appointment
have a "B" average or better (the definition of a "B" average is a 3.0 on a 4 point scale, or an 85 or better on a 100 point scale).
be willing to serve as a Page for one month during the summer before or after their junior year of high school
submit their application and all supporting material no later than March 31, 2006 to Congressman Hensarling's Washington Office.

School Year Program
To be eligible for the school year, applicants must:

be 16 years of age at the time of their appointment
be in their junior year of high school
have a cumulative grade point average of "B" or better in all major courses to date

Application

Applicants in the 5th Congressional District should submit their completed application to Congressman Hensarling's office for review and recommendation. The Speaker's Office will not accept applications from students directly. Only Members of Congress may forward an application. To receive an application, contact Congressman Hensarling's Washington Office at 202-225-3484.

Page Requirements

An official transcript of all grades (from 9th grade through at least the first semester of current year) is required to verify the cumulative grade point average of "B" or better in major courses. Only grades in the following subject areas will be included in the GPA tally: English, science, mathematics, social studies, and foreign language. Electives are not included in the GPA tally.

In addition to the application form and transcript, the following items are required:

Signed parental consent form
Social Security number
50-100 word essay on why you want to become a Republican Page
Resume of extra-curricular activities
Three letters of recommendation

After reviewing the application, transcript, and additional items, Congressman Hensarling will choose one to two candidates for each Page program, and submit a letter of recommendation to the Speaker's office in Washington, D.C. The Speaker's office will then select 72 Pages for each program on a competitive basis from the pool of nominees.

Summer Workdays

The workday begins at 9:00AM for summer Pages and extends to at least 5:00PM, or until the House adjourns for the day - whichever is later. The Pages report to their Page Supervisor where the first order of the day may be filing the Congressional Record from the previous day's proceedings. The Pages serve primarily as messengers, delivering legislative material between the various buildings of Capitol Hill. During the course of the day, the Pages accumulate points for "runs" (or deliveries). Those with the highest number of points may be excused early when the House goes into late-night sessions.

Page School

During the school year Page program, the Pages attend five 40 minute classes at the Page School, which is located on the fourth floor of the Library of Congress Jefferson Building. This special school is for the school year Pages only. The summer Pages do not attend.

Accreditation
The Page School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Courses
Students select five courses in the following subject areas:

American, British, or World Literature (all with composition), or Humanities
Algebra II/Trigonometry; Trigonometry/Pre Calculus or Pre Calculus
Physics or Chemistry
U.S. History or Government and Politics
Intermediate or Advanced French or Spanish
First year language courses are not offered, nor are Advanced Placement courses. All school year Pages participate on alternate Saturdays in a Washington seminar program called WISP (Washington Interdisciplinary Studies Program).

School Year Workdays
The workday begins immediately following the last class at the Page School. It extends to at least 5:00 p.m., or until after the House adjourns for the day, depending on whichever is later. The Pages report to their Page supervisor, where the first order of the day may be filing the Congressional Record from the previous day's proceedings. Pages act primarily as messengers. They deliver legislative material between the various buildings of Capitol Hill. During the course of the day, the Pages accumulate points for "runs" (or deliveries). Those with the highest number or points are excused early when the House goes into late night sessions.

Dress Code

Boys' Dress Code
The dress required for males is a navy blazer, long sleeved white shirt, dark gray slacks, dark socks, dark shoes and a standard issue tie.

Girls' Dress Code
The dress required for females is a navy blazer, long sleeved white blouse, dark gray skirt or dark gray pants, dark shoes, appropriate hose and a standard issue tie.

Standard Issue Ties
The ties are provided during orientation and are navy with red and white stripes.

Housing

All Pages are required to live at the Page Residence Hall, 501 First Street, S.E. A director, assistant director and four proctors living on the premises are responsible for supervision. The third floor is set aside for males and the fourth floor for females. The Pages agree in writing to abide by a strict Code of Conduct, which includes a curfew of 10 p.m. on the weeknights, and midnight on the weekends.

Furnishings

The triple rooms are furnished with twin beds, dressers, desks, and chairs. Each of the rooms has a large walk-in closet, a study area, toll controlled telephone, a small refrigerator, private bathroom and two air-conditioning units. A community room with a color television and microwave oven is available on each floor. A laundry room is located in the basement.

Compensation and Expenses

The Pages are paid approximately $1,461.58 per month, with an automatic payroll deduction of $400 to cover the cost of the dorm and five breakfasts, five lunch and seven dinner meals per week. They are responsible for their transportation to and from Washington and their uniform. In addition, a one-time refundable security deposit of $100 payable to the U.S. Treasury is required for the dorm.

Please keep in mind that Pages are employees of the U.S. House of Representatives, and an important part of the legislative process. Before making your decision to take part in this exciting opportunity, it is imperative that you understand that all family activities, as well as home school, and community activities, which would interrupt your Page school and/or work activities must be put on hold until you are no longer a Page. Pages will not be permitted to return home to attend family reunions, parent promotion ceremonies, family trips, home school activities such as conferences, sports events, proms, etc., if they occur during the school and/or work week.