- Get details on how to receive additional funding for extending your service. Read our FY 2024 Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Continuation Contract Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 434 KB).
- Check out our NHSC LRP Continuation Contract Application Checklist (PDF - 285 KB) to help you gather your documents to complete your application.
Prepare to apply
With a Continuation Contract, you can extend your service by one year in exchange for an additional loan repayment award.
You must be an eligible, current National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP) or NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) participant.
When do I apply?
Review the chart for your cycle dates. We'll also email you and your site once the application cycle opens.
| Contract End Dates Between | Application Cycle Start and End Dates |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2024 – July 31, 2024 | January 23, 2024 - February 27, 2024 |
| August 1, 2024 – September 29, 2024 | April 19, 2024 – May 24, 2024 |
How do I apply?
- Login to the BHW Customer Service Portal.
- Select Apply for a Continuation Contract under the "I Need To..." section.
- Obtain proof of payment history showing that you applied all previous NHSC LRP award funds to reduce your qualifying educational loan(s).
Special note: If all loans are paid in full as a result of an individual receiving loan forgiveness under a program such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program after they have been awarded (contract start date), awardees are still obligated to serve the full length of their NHSC service obligation.
Your payment history must include:
- Lender’s name
- Account holder’s name
- Account number
- Date of payment(s) within your current service obligation
- Amount of payment(s)
Determine your eligibility and review program requirements:
What are the FY 2024 award amounts?
FY 2024 Continuation Contract base award amounts for the NHSC (LRP and S2S LRP).
| Full-Time | Half-Time |
|---|---|
| $20,000 | $10,000 |
- Full-Time Clinical Practice
- No less than 40 hours per week
- A minimum of 45 weeks a year
- Half-Time Clinical Practice
- A minimum of 20 hours per week (not to exceed 39 hours per week)
- A minimum of 45 weeks per year
NHSC Loan Repayment Program
You may be eligible to continue with the loan repayment program beyond the initial contract, one year at a time, and pay off all qualifying educational loans.
You must have:
- Unpaid qualifying educational loans
- Applied all previously received NHSC LRP award funds to reduce your qualifying educational loans
- Continue to serve at an NHSC-approved site
- Meet all other program eligibility criteria in effect at the time we consider you for a Continuation Contract
There is no guarantee that you will receive a Continuation Contract for continued participation in the program beyond the initial contract.
Continuation awards will be made at the government’s discretion and depends on the availability of appropriated funds.
To pursue a Continuation Contract, you must have a record of compliance with NHSC LRP requirements.
If you fail to comply with program requirements in a timely manner during the respective contract period, we may not select you.
What factors influence our decision?
- You fail to apply all previously awarded NHSC LRP funds to your qualifying educational loans, as listed on your Participant Authorization Worksheet (PAW)
- You fail to submit 6-month In-Service Verification (ISV) forms on time
- If any ISV is more than 60 days delinquent, we may consider you unqualified.
- You convert from a full-time to half-time schedule without first obtaining NHSC approval
- You fail to alert the NHSC that you left, or will leave, one or more of your NHSC-approved sites, without notifying the NHSC in advance of your departure
- You transfer to another site prior to obtaining NHSC approval or you request excessive transfers (more than two voluntary transfers)
- You fail to adhere to other program timelines and policies. If you fail to:
- Disclose information regarding your service that impacts compliance with the terms and conditions of an NHSC contract (e.g., working at an additional site)
- Submit documentation for service requests in a timely manner (e.g., transfer request documents)
- Demonstrate flexibility in practice locations prior to official NHSC site assignment (in cases of unemployed clinicians)
- You have excessive absences
- You have more than 35 workday absences per service year, without a documented medical, personal, or otherwise substantiated reason meeting the criteria for a suspension of the service obligation
Note: If some of these factors apply while you serve your initial contract, and you don't resolve them promptly, this may result in a breach of contract. This would put you in default of your NHSC LRP contract.
The Continuation Contract application process is the same as the NHSC LRP.
NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program
Once you complete the initial three-year service contract, you may be eligible to apply for additional loan repayment funds.
This allows you to pay any remaining qualifying educational loans through one-year continuation service contracts.
You must:
- Have remaining unpaid qualifying educational loans
- Have applied all previously received S2S LRP payments, during the contract period, to reduce your qualifying educational loans
- Continue to serve at an NHSC-approved site
- Meet all other program requirements in effect at the time we consider you for a Continuation Contract
There is no guarantee that you will receive a Continuation Contract.
We award Continuation Contracts at our discretion and the availability of appropriated funds.
We will notify you via email if you are eligible to apply for a continuation contract. The application link will be available in your BHW portal.
Related resources
Application & Program Guidance (APG)
- NHSC LRP APG (PDF - 597 KB)
- NHSC SUD LRP APG (PDF - 617 KB)
- NHSC Rural Community LRP APG (PDF - 634 KB)
- S2S LRP APG (PDF - 668 KB)
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