- Sign up for our emails, and we’ll notify you when next year’s application cycle opens.
- Read the 2025 NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 827 KB). It has the information you need to know about the application. Review our definitions (PDF - 214 KB) to understand the APG content.
- Check out our Loan Repayment Program Application Checklist (PDF - 291 KB) to help you with completing and submitting your application.
- Compare the three loan repayment programs to determine which one is right for you.
- Complete a free training to receive preference for your application.
Opening soon – the 2026 application cycle.
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Rural Community Loan Repayment Program is for providers working to combat the opioid epidemic in the nation’s rural communities.
The NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program will make loan repayment awards in coordination with the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). This will provide evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, assist in recovery, and prevent overdose deaths across the nation.
In exchange for loan repayment, you must serve three years at an NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Maternity Care Target Areas
In addition to awarding loan repayment program participants in HPSAs, we also will use designated Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA) scoring to distribute maternity care health professionals. MCTAs are located within primary care HPSAs.
Maternity care health professionals are obstetricians/gynecologists, family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis, and certified nurse midwives. Maternity care health professionals will be awarded using either the primary care HPSA or the MCTA score of their site, whichever is higher. Maternity care health professionals serving exclusively in mental HPSAs are not eligible to apply to the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program.
Which loan repayment program fits me best?
Compare our NHSC loan repayment programs — then choose the right one for you.
On this page:
Eligible clinicians enjoy the following benefits:
- Loan Repayment
Eligible clinicians may receive:- Up to $100,000 for full-time service
- Up to $50,000 for half-time service, to repay outstanding, qualifying school loans
- Flexible Service Options
You have a choice between three years of full-time or half-time service at a rural NHSC-approved Substance Use Disorder treatment facility.
Note: If you serve in a private practice, you are not eligible to serve half-time. - Service
You can increase access to primary care services in rural communities in need.
- Application launch date: February 25, 2025
- Application submission deadline: May 1, 2025 by 7:30p.m. ET
- Licensure Deadline: applicants must have a current, full, permanent, unencumbered, unrestricted health professional license, certificate, or registration by June 30, 2025
- Employment start date: July 18, 2025
- National Health Service Corps Scholarship Programs and Nurse Corps Scholarship Program participants Service Obligation Completion Date: July 31, 2025
- Notification of award: September 30, 2025
- Contract termination deadline:
- 60 days from the effective date of the contract
- At any time if the person who has been awarded such contract has not received funds due under the contract
Award enhancement for Spanish-language proficiency
For the 2025 NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program application cycle, we aim to address language access barriers to health care. To support this effort, we will provide a one-time enhancement award of up to $5,000 for a total loan repayment award of:
- Up to $105,000 for full-time participants.
- Up to $55,000 for half-time participants.
Award amounts are based on the outstanding balance of an applicant’s qualifying educational loans. Participants must complete the three-year service obligation regardless of the amount of their award.
Who is eligible for the enhancement?
If you indicated that you have proficiency in Spanish on your application, and your site affirms you provide services in Spanish to patients with limited English proficiency, after the application closes you will receive an email to complete a Spanish-language competency assessment. This assessment will be conducted by a vendor approved by the General Services Administration. To be eligible for the award enhancement, you must score at least three (3) on the assessment.
Note: If your loans are less than the maximum $100,000 (full-time) or $50,000 (half-time) award amounts, you will not receive the award enhancement even if you are eligible under the other criteria.
Determine your eligibility
Do I qualify for the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program?
Yes, you qualify if you are:
- A United States citizen (U.S. born or naturalized) or the United States national.
- A provider (or eligible to participate as a provider) in the Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, as appropriate.
- Fully trained and licensed to practice in the discipline and state in which you are applying to serve. This page lists eligible disciplines for primary care medical, mental/behavioral health and maternity care.
- A health professional in an eligible discipline with qualified student loan debt for education that led to your degree.
- Working, or have accepted a position, at a rural NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility by the application deadline. (Facilities that have received RCORP funding will receive preference).
- Using either your rural* NHSC-approved facility’s mental or primary care HPSA score.
*Use the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer to find out what NHSC-approved SUD treatment facilities we consider rural.
*If you use assistive technology, you may not be able to access information in these files. For help, contact us at 800-221-9393.
New: You can now check your eligibility in My BHW. After you select Applying for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program on the main portal page, see the Eligibility box at the top of the page.
Are military reservists eligible?
Yes. Find out about specific guidelines and requirements for military reservists.
Which disciplines and specialties are eligible?
We offer awards to providers who use evidence-based treatment models to treat substance use disorders. Evidence-based SUD treatment helps fight this epidemic through specific eligibility. You must be trained and licensed to provide SUD treatment at rural NHSC-approved evidenced-based SUD treatment facilities.
- Allopathic/osteopathic physicians
- Physician assistants
- Psychiatrists
- Nurse practitioners
- Certified nurse-midwives
- Psychiatric nurse specialists
- Health service psychologists
- Licensed clinical social workers
- Marriage and family therapists
- Licensed professional counselors
- SUD counselors
- Pharmacists
- Registered nurses
- Certified registered nurse anesthetists
What is an NHSC-approved site?
An NHSC-approved site is a health care facility. It:
- Provides complete outpatient services to people living in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
- Meets NHSC site eligibility requirements and qualifications.
What is a rural NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility?
Facilities must meet requirements in:
- NHSC Site Agreement (PDF - 255 KB)
- NHSC Site Reference Guide (PDF - 676 KB)
- SUD/Opioid Expansion New Site Application Instructions (PDF)
- SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment programs
- Office-based opioid treatment facilities
- Federally Qualified Health Care Centers (FQHCs)
- Rural Health Clinics
- American Indian Health facilities
- FQHC Look-Alikes
- State or federal correctional facilities
- Critical Access Hospitals affiliated with an outpatient clinic
- Community health centers
- State or local health departments
- Community outpatient facilities
- Private practices
- School-based clinics
- Mobile units and free clinics
How to apply
We guide you through the application and award process:
To apply for the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program, you must understand and follow our requirements.
Before you apply
It takes three weeks to complete an application. This includes required and supplemental documents.
- Provide answers in your application that match your supporting documents. If they don’t, we’ll reject your application.
- You must submit a legible, complete online application by the deadline.
- Save each document as a PDF file before uploading to your application. Do not attempt to upload files larger than 5 MB, or files saved as TIFF, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, and TXT.
We will not:
- Accept requests after the deadline to update a submitted application
- Accept requests to submit additional materials
- Fill in any missing information
- Contact you regarding missing information
How can my application receive priority?
You will receive priority if you:
- Serve at an Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Consortium Member facility;
- Have specialized training to provide SUD treatment (for example, Licensure/Certification);
- Have a license or certification in substance use disorder interventions, such as master's-level substance use disorder counselors.
What makes an application complete?
You must include:
- Online application;
- Required supporting documents; and
- Additional supplemental documentation (if applicable).
Application requirements
The following provides an overview of the application requirements. Find our complete set of requirements and instructions in the application and program guidance.
Complete each of the sections below to submit your application.
Eligibility
You must be eligible for the program. If you do not pass this screening portion of the application, you cannot continue with the application.
Personal information
Provide contact information. Include your name, social security number, mailing and email addresses. You will also add information about yourself and your family background.
Professional information
- Discipline, Training, and Certification
Provide information about your education, training, and licensure/certification. - Site Search (Employment)
You will search for and select the NHSC-approved site(s), where you currently provide or will provide patient care. -
Employment Verification
You must request an Employment Verification (EV) through My BHW. We will notify the point(s)-of-contact at the NHSC-approved service site where you work (or plan to work), about your request.We’ll notify you once the site(s) point(s) of contact completes it.
The site(s) must complete the electronic EV before you can submit your application. It's your responsibility to ensure that the site point-of-contact completes the EV.
- Professional Information
You will respond to questions related to your profession and professional training. - Telehealth
This section contains optional questions that you will answer about any telehealth services you provide.
Loan information
Provide information on each qualifying school loan for which you seek repayment. We'll review supporting documents, contact lenders/holders, and check 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, we need to know
- Original date of consolidation
- Original balance of consolidation
- Account number
- Purpose of loan
An application is incomplete without the following 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: driver’s license or Social Security card. - Loan Information Verification
Provide two types of documents for each loan you submit:- Account Statement
Current information on your qualifying school loans. This document should:- Be on official letterhead or other clear evidence that it comes from the lender/holder
- Include the name of the borrower (the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program 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
- Disbursement Report
Verifies the originating loan information and should:- Be on official letterhead or other clear evidence 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
- Account Statement
You may need to submit additional supporting documents.
Submit these documents if we list them on the “Supporting Documents” page of the online application.
- Specialty Certification
If you choose a specialty, you must upload a copy of the certificate or diploma from the training program where you completed your studies. - Substance Use Disorder Specialized Training
You should upload your document verifying your specialized substance use disorder or addiction medicine training program if you have one. - Substance Use Disorder License or Certification
You should upload your certificate, license or diploma from a substance use disorder or addiction medicine training program if you have one. - Postgraduate Training Verification
This document verifies that you completed the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program or Graduate Psychology Education Program. This document is in addition to the postgraduate training related to your practice area. Such documents may include an official completion certificate. - Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program Identification Number
If you completed a postgraduate medical or dental training program funded by HRSA through the THCGME Payment Program, you must submit the residency identification number and residency completion certificate, if available. Use the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or The Commission on Dental Accreditation to look up your program identification number. - Verification of Disadvantaged Background
A school official may complete the Verification of Disadvantaged Background (PDF - 406 KB). You may also self-attest to having a disadvantaged background by uploading a document that validates that you meet the criteria included on the disadvantaged background form such as the federal student aid report. - Verification of Existing Service Obligation
You must provide evidence from the entity for which you have an existing service obligation stating you will complete service there prior to the NHSC application deadline. - Payment History (Former NHSC recipients)
You must show that you used all NHSC Loan Repayment Program funds to repay the qualifying school loans approved as part of your most recent NHSC program contract, if applicable. - Proof of Name Change
You must provide legal proof of name change if your citizenship document name does not match the name on your application. Proof can include a marriage license or divorce decree.
Print and keep a copy of your completed application package for your records.
After you apply
After you submit your online application, you’ll see a receipt of submission.
How can I view my application and its status?
Log into My BHW. There, you can view the status of your application and download a copy of your application, supporting documents, and completed EVs.
Can I make edits after I submit my application?
After you submit the online application, you may make edits, and upload new documents. Resubmit your final, complete application by the application deadline.
Can I withdraw my application?
Yes, you may withdraw your application any time before the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), or their designee, signs the contract.
How do you evaluate me?
Review of all applications starts after the application deadline has passed.
We use selection factors and funding priorities to evaluate your application.
The NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program also has award priority factors.
Notifying award finalists
If you become an award finalist, we will email you and ask that you log into your My BHW Account.
We will ask you to confirm:
- Your continued interest in receiving an award
- The validity of the loan and employment information you provided us in your application
- That you have read and understand the Loan Repayment Program contract (if you receive and accept an award)
We ask you to provide:
Your direct deposit banking information. We use this for award funds if you receive an award.
Note: You must respond by the deadline we provide in the Confirmation of Interest email.
What if I don’t respond in time?
If you miss the deadline for the Confirmation of Interest process, we may not consider your application. You will then need to apply to a future NHSC Rural Community LRP application cycle. During that cycle, you will compete with other providers based on the program requirements.
Who makes award determinations?
Only the HHS Secretary or their designee can make an NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program award.
When will you notify me of an award?
You will receive final notification of an award no later than September 30. The letter will include your service obligation dates.
Will you notify me if you don't select me for an award?
Yes. If we don't select you for an award, we will email you no later than September 30.
NHSC Loan Repayment contract and service obligation
When does my service obligation begin?
Your NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program service obligation begins on the date that the HHS Secretary or their designee countersigns your contract.
Can I terminate my contract?
Yes. However, if you terminate the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program contract, you must repay all funds received under the contract, as detailed in the APG and your contract.
Related resources
Application & Program Guidance (APG)
- NHSC LRP APG (PDF - 809 KB)
- NHSC SUD LRP APG (PDF - 783 KB)
- NHSC Rural Community LRP APG (PDF - 827 KB)
- S2S LRP APG (PDF - 611 KB)
Other loan repayment & scholarship programs
Program comparison charts
- Compare Loan Repayment Programs (PDF - 161 KB)
- NHSC and Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Programs Comparison (PDF - 42 KB)
Fact sheets
- NHSC LRP Fact Sheet (PDF - 308 KB)
- NHSC SUD Workforce LRP Fact Sheet (PDF)
- NHSC Rural Community LRP Fact Sheet (PDF - 253 KB)
- NHSC S2S LRP Fact Sheet (PDF)
- NHSC Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training Fact Sheet (PDF - 326 KB)
Date Last Reviewed: