About the Senate Page Program
The Senate Page Program began in 1829 when the first page, a nine year old boy, was appointed by Senator Daniel Webster. Today, living away from home and attending school with students from across the country allows pages to experience a myriad of new ideas, perspectives, and issues. Pages meet some of the Nation's most prominent leaders and witness firsthand the political debates of the United States Senate, often referred to as the "greatest deliberative body in the world."Page duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Congressional Complex. Other duties include taking messages for Members, calling them to the phone, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. Pages are paid on the basis of an annual salary.Pages reside in the Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence which is located near the Hart Senate Office Building. Room and board is withheld through automatic monthly payroll deductions.
There are four established page sessions. The academic year consists of two semesters which run from early September through mid-January and from mid-January through mid-June. The summer program consists of two sessions which are three or four weeks duration depending on the legislative calendar.
Following classes at the Senate Page School, which extend until 9:45 a.m. or one hour prior to the commencement of the Senate, Pages report for duty to their respective cloakrooms and work until 4:00 p.m. or until the Senate adjourns for the day, whichever is later.
Eligibility Requirements
- Senate pages must be sponsored by a Senator.
- Pages must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or subject to agreements of the Department of State, and must have a social security number.
- Page eligibility is limited to juniors in high school who will be 16 or 17 years old on or before the date of appointment.
- Pages must verify a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0/B to qualify for attendance at the school.
- A general health assessment completed by a licensed physician is required, in addition to a certification of immunization.
- Students must have all required vaccinations.
- Pages must be covered by health insurance. If a page does not have health insurance, they will be required to enroll in the Federal Employee health insurance program.
- No student may stay in the program if their average falls below a “C” in any class.