NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program

• Service

  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, school loans.

  • NHSC loan repayment funds are exempt from federal income and employment taxes.
  • You will receive up to $120,000 in loan repayment funds. We pay you in four annual installments (up to $30,000 per year) as long as you meet program requirements.
  • You agree to three years of service at an NHSC-approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
    • Full-time clinical service is 40 hours/week for at least 45 weeks/year.
    • Half-time clinical service is 20 hours/week for at least 45 weeks/year.

• Complete Repayment of Qualifying Loans

  After your initial three-year service contract, you may be eligible for additional loan repayment funds. Continuation Contracts can help you pay any remaining school loans through one-year service extensions.

  • There is no guarantee that you will receive a continuation contract.

• Application Launch Date: August 27, 2024
• Application Submission Deadline: November 7, 2024
• Medical and Dental Student Graduation Date: July 1, 2025
• Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, and Physician Assistant Graduation Date: August 31, 2025
• Notification of Award: April 15, 2025
• Contract Termination Deadline:
  • 60 days from the effective date of the contract
  • At any time if the person who was awarded the contract has not received funds due

You must be:

• A United States citizen or U.S. national
• 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

• 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 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 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.
  • You must be eligible to hold an appointment as a Commissioned Officer of the Public Health Service or as a federal civil servant.

Note: There are additional, specific requirements for both medical students and dental students—you can find them in the NHSC S2S LRP APG.

Are military reservists eligible?

Yes. Find out about specific guidelines and requirements for military reservists.

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 Target Area (MCTA) Provider

• Physician (MD/DO)
  • Obstetrics/Gynecology
  • Family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis
• Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

To be eligible for the MCTA supplemental award, you must:

• Have unpaid qualifying school loans
• Commit to providing primary health care services in Maternity Care Target Areas with a shortage score of 16 or above

S2S LRP participants who qualify for the supplemental award of up to $40,000 will receive four equal annual payments.

Example

A participant who received a $120,000 S2S LRP award in four annual installments of $30,000, and then received a $40,000 supplemental award, would see their yearly installment payment increase by $10,000 for a total of $40,000 per year.

In the BHW Customer Service Portal, complete each of the following sections:

• Eligibility Screening.
  You must pass this initial screening portion of the application to continue with the application.
• General Information.
  Provide contact information such as your name, social security number, mailing and email addresses. Provide information about your and your family's background.
• Education Information.
  Provide information about the degree program you are pursuing.
• Loan Information.
  Provide information on each qualifying school loan for which you seek repayment.
  We will verify each loan. We will review supporting documents and contact lenders or holders. We will 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. The balance can be 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
  The release authorizes identified entities to disclose information about you. It must include:
  • The last four digits of your social security number
  • The date you signed the form
  • Your handwritten signature
• Proof of Passage of Required Licensing Examinations
  • Medical students must submit documents verifying that they have passed Step/Level 1 of the USMLE or the COMLEX.
  • Dental students must submit documents verifying that they have passed Part I of the National Board Dental Examination.
  • Nursing students must submit documents 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, 2025
  • You will graduate before July 1, 2025, for physicians and dentists
  • You will graduate before August 31 , 2025, for nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, or physician assistants

  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. It should include 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 school. 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 documents for each loan you submit:
  • Document One: Account Statement
    Current information on your qualifying school loans. This document should:
    • Be on official letterhead or other clear proof that it comes from the lender/holder
    • Include the name of the borrower (that means the NHSC S2S LRP applicant)
    • Contain the account number
    • Include the date of the statement. It cannot be more than 30 days from the date you submit your application.
    • Include the current outstanding balance or the current payoff balance. This total should include both principal and interest.
    • Include the current interest rate
  • Document Two: Disbursement Report
    Verifies the originating loan information and should:
    • Be on official letterhead or other clear proof 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 based on responses on the online application.

You should only submit these documents if we list them on the “Supporting Documents” page of the online application.

• Verification of Disadvantaged Background
  A school official must complete the Verification of Disadvantaged Background (PDF - 406 KB).
• Verification of Existing Service Obligation
  Proof from the entity for which you have an existing service obligation that you will complete service there prior to the NHSC application deadline.