Check out our application checklist(PDF - 1 MB) to be sure you have everything you need to submit a complete application.
Applied to the 2024 application? Check for our emails, as all applicants will be notified of their award status by April 15, 2024.
Upcoming webinar
Register to attend our informational webinar for MD/DO students, Crush Med School Debt, on August 21, 2024, from 2 – 3 p.m. ET. You can also check out past webinars for updated information on our programs.
If you are a student in your last year of medical, nursing, or dental school, you may be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance from the NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (NHSC S2S LRP).
By joining thousands of NHSC participants across the country, you have an opportunity to provide primary health services to communities in need.
Loan Repayment
You will receive funds to repay your outstanding, qualifying, educational loans.
NHSC loan repayment funds are exempt from federal income and employment taxes.
You will receive up to $120,000 in loan repayment funds payable in four annual installments (up to $30,000 per year) as long as you meet program requirements.
In return, you agree to provide three years of full-time clinical practice at an NHSC-approved site in a HPSA. (Full-time clinical practice means at least 40 hours per week, for at least 45 weeks each service year.)
Once you complete the initial three-year service contract, you may be eligible to apply for additional loan repayment funds to pay any remaining educational loans through one-year continuation service contracts.
There is no guarantee that you will receive a continuation contract.
Application Launch Date: August 29, 2023 **
Application Submission Deadline: December 7, 2023
Medical and Dental Student Graduation Date: July 1, 2024 **
Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife and Physician Assistant Graduation Date: August 31, 2024
Notification of Award: April 15, 2024
Contract Termination Deadline: 60 days from the effective date of the contract or at any time if the individual who has been awarded such contract has not received funds due under the contract.
Pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.), Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (D.M.D.), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) or Physician Assistant (PA) degree in a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory at:
A school of allopathic medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges)
A school of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation
A school of dentistry accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation
A school or program of nurse practitioner education accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
At a school or program of nurse-midwifery education accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of Accreditation
A school or program of physician assistant education accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education nationally recognized accrediting body or organization
Enrolled as a full-time student in the last year of medical, physician assistant, nursing, or dental school with a graduation date during the application year* on or before:
July 1 for physicians and dentists
August 31 for nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives or physician assistants
Note: Any classes that are not required or unrelated courses to the qualifying degree program will not count towards the hours required for full-time status.
*The application year applies to the fiscal year noted in the Application and Program Guidance (APG).
Eligible for federal employment.
You should expect to serve your commitment as a salaried, non-federal employee of a public or private entity approved by the NHSC.
However, there may be vacancies that require federal employment, including a security clearance.
Note: There are additional, specific requirements for both medical students and dental students—you can find them in the NHSC S2S LRP Application and Program Guidance.
Following medical, nursing, or dental school, you must plan to train and become licensed to provide patient care in one of these disciplines and specialties:
Physician
Allopathic (MD)
Osteopathic (DO)
Family Medicine
General Internal Medicine
General Pediatrics
Geriatrics
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Psychiatry (including Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists)
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Adult Practice
Family Practice
Pediatrics
Women’s Health
Psychiatry
Geriatrics
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
Women’s Health
Dentist
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD)
General Dentistry
Pediatric Dentistry
Physician Assistant (PA)
Adult
Family
Pediatric
Women's Health
Geriatrics
Maternity Care Treatment Area (MCTA) Provider
Physician (MD/DO)
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA) Supplemental Award
We recently identified and designated Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTAs), or geographic areas within HPSAs that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals to help distribute NHSC-awarded maternity care health professionals to such areas. To support this effort, the Fiscal Year 2024 NHSC S2S LRP provides a supplemental award of up to $40,000 in loan repayment funding to maternity care health professional participants.
Students who receive an NHSC S2S LRP award and are found eligible for the MCTA supplement, will be contacted by the NHSC to accept it. The supplement is separate from your initial application for the up to $120,000 NHSC S2S LRP award.
Disciplines
Specialty
Physicians
Allopathic
Osteopathic
Family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Certified Nurse Midwives
N/A
To be eligible for the Maternity Care Target Area supplemental award, program participants must:
Have unpaid qualifying educational loans that were not paid off using previously awarded NHSC funds
Commit to providing primary health care services in Maternity Care Target Areas with a shortage score of 16 or above
S2S LRP participants who receive the supplemental award of up to $40,000 will receive supplemental award payments distributed equally through annual installment payments.
Example
A program participant who initially received a $120,000 Students to Service Loan Repayment Program award which resulted in four annual installment payments of $30,000 and receives a $40,000 supplemental award would see the annual installment payment increased by $10,000 for a total annual installment payment of $40,000.
How to apply
We guide you through the application and award process:
This is an overview of the application requirements. Refer to the Application and Program Guidance (APG) for complete requirements and instructions. We update the APG each year.
You must complete each of the following sections below to submit your application:
If you do not pass this initial screening portion of the application, you cannot continue with the application.
General Information.
Provide contact information such as your name, social security number, mailing and email addresses, as well as information about individual and family background.
Education Information.
Provide information related to the degree program you are currently pursuing.
Loan Information.
Provide information on each qualifying educational loan for which you seek repayment.
We will verify each by reviewing supporting documents, contacting lenders/holders, and checking your credit report.
Each of the loans must have:
Name and contact information for the lender/holder
Loan account number
Original amount disbursed
Original date of the loan
Current outstanding balance (no more than 30 days from the date you submit your application)
Current interest rate
Type of loan. If a consolidated loan, additional questions will be asked:
Original date of consolidation
Original balance of consolidation
Account number
Purpose of loan
Essay.
Respond to the essay topic in 500 words or less, and upload it to the application.
An application is incomplete without these required supplemental documents:
Proof of status as a United States citizen or United States national
Acceptable documents: birth certificate, current U.S. passport’s ID page, or a certificate of citizenship or naturalization.
Unacceptable documents: permanent resident card, driver’s license, marriage certificate or Social Security card.
Authorization to Release Information
This authorizes identified entities to disclose information about you. It must include the last four digits of your social security number, be dated and have your handwritten signature.
Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV)
This must outline relevant work/volunteer experience and be fewer than five pages long.
Proof of Passage of Required Licensing Examinations
Medical students must submit documentation verifying that they have passed Step/Level 1 of the USMLE or the COMLEX.
Dental students must submit documentation verifying that they have passed Part I of the National Board Dental Examination.
Nursing students must submit documentation of appropriate specialized training and certification.
Verification of Good Standing
A school official must complete and sign a report verifying:
Your enrollment
You are in good standing
Your last day of classes is no later than June 30, 2024
You will graduate before July 1, 2024
We will verify for accuracy.
Letters of Recommendation
Submit two letters of recommendation, each on letterhead with a handwritten signature:
One letter from an instructor
One additional letter of recommendation
Recommendations should include a description of the recommender’s relationship to you, and a discussion of your interest in, and commitment to, a career in primary care and service populations and communities in need.
Transcript
This must come from your current educational institution. An unofficial transcript is acceptable as long as it includes your name, school name, and grade point average (GPA) (may be pass/fail).
Loan Information Verification
Provide two types of documentation for each loan you submit:
Document One: Account Statement
Current information on your qualifying educational loans. This document should:
Be on official letterhead or other clear verification that it comes from the lender/holder
Include the name of the borrower (i.e., the NHSC S2S LRP applicant)
Contain the account number
Include the date of the statement (cannot be more than 30 days from the date you submit your application)
Include the current outstanding balance (principal and interest) or the current payoff balance
Include the current interest rate
Document Two: Disbursement Report
Verifies the originating loan information and should:
Be on official letterhead or other clear verification that it comes from the lender/holder
Include the name of the borrower
Contain the account number
Include the type of loan
Include the original loan date (must be prior to the date you submit your application)
Include the original loan amount
Include the purpose of the loan
We may require you to submit additional documents if your responses on the online application indicate that they are relevant.
You should only submit these documents if we list them on the “Supporting Documents” page of the online application.
Verification of Existing Service Obligation Verification from the entity for which you have an existing service obligation stating you will complete service there prior to the NHSC application deadline.
After you apply
You will receive a receipt of submission once you successfully submit the online application.
What happens during the application review process?
The S2S LRP application review process occurs over several months through independent, objective review.
Allow at least 30 business days from submission for us to review your documentation and update your application status.
Do you provide status updates?
We provide email updates, as applicable, as well as updates on the status page of the online application. You must ensure your contact information is correct.