Understanding Loan Repayment Selection Factors

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) uses certain selection factors to evaluate applicants, and ultimately determine who should receive loan repayment awards.

NHSC Loan Repayment Programs | NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program

NHSC Loan Repayment Programs

What selection factors do we use to evaluate NHSC Loan Repayment awardees?

• You honor legal obligations. We will not select you if you have a history of not honoring prior legal obligations.  
  To determine this, we will perform a hard credit inquiry and review factors such as:
  • A default on any federal payment obligations or any non-federal payment obligations (e.g., Department of Education Assistance Loans, court-ordered child support payments), even if that creditor considers you to be in good standing
  • Write-off of any federal or non-federal debt as uncollectible, or a waiver of any federal service or payment obligation
  • A default on a prior service obligation—to federal, state, or local government, or other entity—even if you subsequently satisfied that obligation
  • A judgment lien arising from federal debt
  • Failure/refusal to provide permission or consent for the NHSC to access a participant’s credit report or failure/refusal to unfreeze the credit report
• You do not have any negative reports on the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). The NHSC will request and review the applicant’s NPDB report. 
• You are not in breach of any service obligation. We will not select you for an award if you are in breach of a health professional service obligation to a federal, state, or other entity.
• You do not have an existing service obligation. If you are already obligated to a federal, state, or other entity for professional practice or service, we will not select you to participate unless that obligation will be complete prior to starting your NHSC LRP service.
  Exceptions:
  • You complete your outstanding service obligation to another entity by the deadline for meeting the NHSC clinical practice requirements.
  • You are a reserve member of the Armed Forces or National Guard, not on active duty prior to receiving an LRP award. Be sure to read our information for reserve members of the Armed Forces or National Guard to understand your obligation for NHSC service and absences from your site. 
• You are not currently excluded, suspended, or disqualified by a federal agency. In the application, you must sign a certification stating that you are not excluded, suspended, or disqualified by a federal agency.
  • You must also agree to provide immediate written notice to us if you failed to make a required disclosure or if your circumstances change in such a way that a disclosure is now necessary.
  • The National Health Service Corps will verify each participant’s status through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay site.
• You commit to providing primary care service in a HPSA. We seek to recruit providers with a strong commitment to primary care and serving in communities most in need of primary care services.

What are Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTAs)?

In fiscal year 2023, we will use Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTASs) to ensure that maternity care health professionals receiving NHSC LRP awards are serving in areas of greatest needs. These providers include OB/GYN physicians, family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis and certified nurse midwives.

MCTAs are areas within an existing Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) that are experiencing a shortage of maternity health care professionals. 

NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP)

What selection factors do we use to evaluate S2S LRP awardees?

• You passed the first component of required licensing examinations
  • Medical students must submit documentation verifying that they have passed Step/Level 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX).
  • Dental students must submit documentation verifying that they have passed Part I of the National Board Dental Examination.
• You honor prior legal obligations. We will not select you if you have a history of not honoring prior legal obligations. 
  To determine this, we review factors such as:
  • A default on any federal payment obligations or any non-federal payment obligations (for example, court-ordered child support payments), even that creditor considers you to be in good standing
  • Write-off of any federal or non-federal debt as uncollectible, or a waiver of any federal service or payment obligation
  • A default on a prior service obligation—to federal, state, or local government, or other entity—even if you subsequently satisfied that obligation
  • A judgment lien arising from federal debt
• You are not in breach of any service obligation. We will not select you for an award if you are in breach of a health professional service obligation to a federal, state, or other entity.
• You do not have an existing service obligation, nor will you perform another service obligation concurrently with your S2S LRP service obligation. We will not select you to participate unless your obligation to a federal, state, or other entity for professional practice or service will be complete prior to starting your NHSC S2S LRP service. Additionally, if you enter into other service commitments (for example, State Loan Repayment Program) and are not immediately available to fulfill your NHSC service commitment after you complete your approved postgraduate training, you will be subject to a breach of contract.
  • Exception:
    • You are a reserve member of the Armed Forces or National Guard, not on active duty prior to receiving an S2S LRP award.
• You are not currently excluded, suspended, or disqualified by a federal agency. In your application, you must certify that you are not excluded, suspended, or disqualified by a federal agency.
  • You must also agree to provide immediate written notice to us if you failed to make a required disclosure or if your circumstances change in such a way that a disclosure is necessary.
• You commit to providing primary care service in a HPSA. We seek to recruit providers with a strong commitment to primary care and serving in communities most in need of primary care services. We will evaluate you based on your degree of commitment and interest/motivation of these principles.
• What do we use to evaluate your commitment and interest in serving communities in need?
  • Essay Your essay—not to exceed 500-words—should include a description of relevant work experiences and/or activities (for example, community service, research, and internships), which prepared you to work with underserved populations.
  • Recommendation letters Two letters of recommendation with detailed descriptions of your:
    • Performance in school;
    • Education/work achievements;
    • Community/civic or other non-academic achievements;
    • Ability to work and communicate constructively with others from diverse backgrounds; and
    • Interest and commitment to a career in primary care and service to underserved populations and communities.
  • Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) Must contain:
    • Relevant work experience;
    • Academic/professional achievements; and
    • Community/civic or other non-academic achievements.
  • Transcript Information on the courses you have taken, and rotations completed, as well as your academic performance.
• You submit a complete application. We must receive your completed application by the date and time we list in the latest S2S LRP Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 668 KB)