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Rural Health Information Hub

Expanded Eligibility Allows More Rural Clinicians to Qualify for Loan Repayment

Date:
Duration: approximately minutes

Featured Speakers

Tom Morris Tom Morris, Associate Administrator for Rural Health, Health Resources and Services Administration
Mike Shimmens Mike Shimmens, Executive Director, 3RNET
Malissa Lewis Malissa Lewis, Chief, Division of National Health Services Corps Loan Repayment Branch, HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW)

Are you a rural clinician that needs help paying off your student loans? There's help. For qualified healthcare clinicians you could receive student loan repayment in return for serving at National Health Services Corps (NHSC) approved sites. Successful NHSC applicants can either receive loan repayment funding while working at a HPSA site, or receive funding while in school in exchange for service in a HPSA after their graduation, depending on the NHSC program. In FY 2020, approximately 14,000 primary, dental, and mental healthcare providers served in National Health Service Corps programs, receiving federal funding in exchange for providing care in a health professional shortage area.

Learn more about each of the three loan repayment programs

  • NHSC Loan Repayment Program – awards up to $50,000 in exchange for a two-year commitment to provide primary medical, dental or mental/behavioral healthcare at approved sites in high-need, underserved areas. HRSA has removed the two-tier scoring, allowing all applicants to receive up to $50,000 in awards regardless of HPSA score. NHSC LRP recipients are eligible to extend their service and potentially pay off all of their educational debt with continuation contracts.
  • NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program – provides up to $75,000 in exchange for a three-year commitment to healthcare professionals who provide substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services at NHSC-approved SUD treatment facilities. Clinicians with DATA 2000 Waivers can receive award preference.
  • NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program – Providers in rural communities may apply to the NHSC Rural Community LRP, which awards up to $100,000 for three years of service. You are eligible for preference if you work at an NHSC-approved Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Consortium member facility.

For help with your application, attend one of the NHSC Loan Repayment Program Q&A Sessions or watch the NHSC LRP Webinar recording.

Additional Resources

NHSC Basics

Program Specific Information

From This Webinar