National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Assistance (for MD Students)

Another NHSC loan repayment program is the Student to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP).  Medical students in the final year of school can receive loan repayment assistance in return for providing health care in urban, rural, or frontier communities with limited access to care.  To be eligible you must be a US citizen or US National, enrolled as a full-time student in your final year at a fully accredited medical school, and planning to complete an accredited primary care medical residency in an NHSC approved specialty:  Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Geriatrics, and Psychiatry.  Loan repayment assistance of up to $120,000 is provided in exchange for up to 3 years of full time services or 6 years of half time service at HPSA approved site of greatest need.  Eligible providers may be able to pay off all qualifying student loans through continued service.  Applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds and those likely to remain in a health profession shortage area are given priority by the NHSC during the application process.  Loan repayment assistance under the S2S LRP is not taxable income.  Further information can be found at: https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loan-repayment/nhsc-students-to-service-loan-repayment-program

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and remain in public service. The program grants public service loan forgiveness of the full remaining Direct Loan balance when the borrower has made 120 qualifying monthly payments through an eligible repayment plan after October 1, 2007, while employed in public service fields considered eligible under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The borrower must also be employed in public service at the time of applying for forgiveness and when any remaining loan amount is forgiven.

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) awards loan repayment  assistance under various programs to primary care physicians and physician assistants and behavioral and mental health providers (and other health professionals as well) to provide culturally competent, interdisciplinary primary health care services to underserved populations in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).  Loan Repayment assistance is available of up to $50,000 with an HPSA score of 14 or above or above (2018 criteria) for an initial 2 years of full time clinical practice.  Those approved at a site with a HPSA score of 13 or below may be eligible for up to $30,000 for initial 2 years of full time clinical practice.  With continued service beyond 2 years, NHSC providers may be able to pay off all of their student loans with additional years of service.  Eligible disciplines and specialties for our CCOM students are: Family Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, General Psychiatry, and Primary Care Physician Assistants, and Mental and Behavioral Health Providers.  Further information can be found at: https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loan-repayment/nhsc-loan-repayment-program or on their fact sheet.

National Health Service Corps Rural Community Loan Repayment Program

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Rural Community Loan Repayment Program (LRP) is a new program for providers working to combat the opioid epidemic in the nation’s rural communities.  The NHSC LRP offers two levels of funding, based upon the need of the community in which a provider works, as defined by a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score.  Loan Repayment assistance is available of up to $50,000 with an HPSA score of 14 or above or above (2018 criteria) for an initial 2 years of full time clinical practice.  Those approved at a site with a HPSA score of 13 or below may be eligible for up to $30,000 for initial 2 years of full time clinical practice.  With continued service beyond 2 years, NHSC providers may be able to pay off all of their student loans with additional years of service.  Eligible disciplines and specialties for our CCOM students are: Family Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, General Psychiatry, and Primary Care Physician Assistants.  Further information can be found on their website or on their fact sheet.

HRSA Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program

The Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP) provides loan repayment for individuals working in either a full time substance use disorder treatment job that involves direct patient care in a county/municipality where the average drug overdose rate exceeds the most current nation average or a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area.  The Health Resources and Services Administration will provide up to $250,000 in loan repayment funds in exchange for 6 years of service.  For qualifications and other information, please read this fact sheet or visit their website.  

Veterans Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)

The Department of Veterans Affairs will provide up to $200,000 in loan repayment for education related expenses such as tuition, fees, books, and supplies.  The VA will pay eligible physicians up to $40,000 for five years of service  in specific, difficult to recruit, direct patient care positions.  

Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program

The Nation Health Service Corps offers a loan repayment plan for clincians that provide substance abuse treatment.  The Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program will pay eligible clinicians up to $75,000 in loan repayment in exchange for 3 years of full time service or $37,500 for 3 years of half time service at an approved NHSC site.  The loan repayment amounts are not taxable.  To find out more infromation, please visit their website or view their fact sheet.  Applications are due in February. 

Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program

The Indian Health Service (IHS) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) can help dedicated health professionals like you chart a course for a long lasting and successful health care career.  The LPR funds IHS clinicians to repay their eligible health profession education loans - up to $40,000 - in exchange for an initial two year service commitment to practice in health facilities serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities.  Opportunities are based on Indian health program facilities with the greatest staffing needs in specific health profession disciplines.  As an LRP participant, you are eligible to extend your contract annually until your qualified student debt is paid.  Many health professionals rewards you to be so great that they spend their entire careers working in Indian health.  Loan repayment amounts are taxable but you will also be provided with 20% for your federal tax liabilities.  Further information can be found at: https://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/

National Institutes of Health AIDS Research/Clinical Research or General Research Loan Repayment Programs

Physicians involved in several different types of research or physicians from disadvantaged backgrounds involved in clinical research at NIH may have up to $35,000 per year in educational loans repaid. To qualify, researchers must have education debt exceeding 20% of their annual NIH basic pay or stipend. One third of the repayable debt will be repaid for each year of qualified service, up to a maximum of $35,000 per year. A two-year minimum service is required, and a federal tax incentive is also provided.

NIH Aids Research Loan Repayment Program
Director, Loan Repayment Program
National Institute of Health
7550 Wisconsin Avenue, Rm. 604
Bethesda, MD 20892-9121
800-528-7689
https://www.lrp.nih.gov/ 

Disadvantaged Health Professions Faculty Loan Repayment Program

Division of Student Assistance
Bureau of Health Professions
Health Resources and Services Administration
5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857
Phone: 301-443-0846
https://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/repayment/Faculty/overview.html 

Physicians from disadvantaged backgrounds who sign a contract agreeing to serve for two years as a full-time faculty member at a participating school, may have up to $40,000 of debt repaid for each year of faculty service.

U.S. Army Student Loan Repayment Program

The U.S. Army may repay Federal Stafford/Perkins loans for people serving in the Army or Army Reserve. For each year on active duty the Army will repay up to one-third of this outstanding debt. For each year in the reserves, the program eliminates up to 15% of this outstanding debt.

Check with your local or regional Army Health Professions Recruiting Office.

Armed Forces Health Professions Financial Assistance Program (FAP)

The FAP provides financial assistance to eligible residents in designated residency programs in return for a combined active duty and reserve service obligation in either the Army, Navy or Air Force. Recipients are paid about $19,000 in annual grants and a monthly stipend in addition to a usual military’s resident salary. Eligible specialties presently are Anesthesiology, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Urology, Cardiology, Family Practice, Ob-Gyn, Psychiatry, Radiology and a few other surgical subspecialties.

Check with you local or regional military recruiting office for each branch of the military

National Guard Health Professions Loan Repayment Program

This program may repay up to $20,000 total in educational loans, with a maximum of $3,000 per year, for service in the National Guard for physicians in the following surgical specialties:

Anesthesiology
Plastic Surgery
Orthopedic Surgery
Neurosurgery
General Surgery

Check with your local or regional National Guard health professions recruiter.