Page Program

Pages are hired to serve as support staff for the U.S. House of Representatives. They are students in their junior year of high school, who come to Washington D.C. to live, work, and study as Pages. Pages have served the house for over 200 years.

There are only 72 Page positions in the House of Representatives, with the possibility of 435 Members of Congress wishing to recommend young people for these slots. All students must be sponsored by a Member of Congress to become a Page. Thus, the first step is to ask a Member of Congress for sponsorship. Obviously, not every Member can sponsor a Page every time.

Eligibility

Page eligibility is limited to juniors in high school only. All applicants must be sixteen years old on the date they begin their Page term. There are no exceptions.

Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for the House Page School.

Appointment

Pages are asked to serve at least one full semester, and may be asked to serve for two semesters. Academic semesters are considered to be Fall and Spring and require attendance at the U.S. House of Representatives Page School. The summer program starts approximately the second week of June each year with termination determined by the legislative schedule. This schedule also determines whether or not there will be one or two terms of the Summer Page Program.

Houe Page School

The School is located in the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress and offers a typical junior year course of study only. The School is accredited through Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Classes begin at 6:45 a.m. and include Math, English, Social Studies, Science, and Computer Technology. The School also offers field trips and hosts guest speakers.

Duties of a Page

The duties of a Page consist primarily of delivery of correspondence, legislative material and small packages within the Congressional complex. A few pages are assigned to answering phones in the Members' Cloakrooms, taking messages for Members, calling them to the phone if they are in the House Chamber and preparing the House Floor for sessions. Others may monitor a telephone bank of incoming requests for Page service. A rotation system is practiced so that every Page has an opportunity to experience the various areas of service.

Compenstation and Fees

Salary - Pages are paid at an annual rate of $17,540.00 with a monthly gross salary of $1,461.67 from which automatic deductions are made for federal and state taxes, social security and residence hall fee. Pages are paid on the last working day of each month, as are all House employees.

Residence Hall fees - Page Hall residents must make an initial security deposit of $100 when checking in, refundable within 60 days of termination, when it has been determined that the individual is not responsible for any damage to premises or other charges. The Residence Hall cost is $400 per month which includes five breakfasts, five lunches and seven dinners per week and is automatically deducted from your monthly paycheck.

Spending money - It is recommended that you bring approximately $250 in travelers check to cover expenses such as lunch, weekend activities, and other miscellaneous expenses.

Before Making Your Decision

Pages are employees of the U.S. House of Representatives, and an important part of the legislative process. Before making your decision to become a page, 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. You will not be permitted to return home to attend family reunions, family trips, etc. if they occur during the school and/or work week.

If you make plans to return home for any reason other than family illness or scheduled federal and school holidays, you must leave after work on Friday and return by curfew on Sunday night.

The House legislative calendar is never set in stone and changes frequently. Your plans and airline tickets may have to be changed or canceled if the House calendar dictates it. Pages are advised never to purchase non-refundable tickets based on the tenative calendar in the Page Handbook as it is likely to change.

If you would like additional information about the Page Program, please contact my Washington office.