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Loan Repayment Programs
The National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health has several scholarship and loan
repayment programs available for both graduate and undergraduate
students.
Please visit their website to get additional info:
Loan repayment Program:
http://www.lrp.nih.gov/
Postdoctoral Fellowships & Subspeciality Clinical Fellowships:
http://www.training.nih.gov/
Undergraduate Scholarship Program:
http://ugsp.info.nih.gov/
Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program
Department of Health and Human Services
The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) offers registered
nurses substantial assistance to repay educational loans in exchange for
service in eligible facilities located in areas experiencing a shortage of
nurses. Authorized by Section 846 of the Public Health Service Act, as
amended, the purpose of the NELRP is to assist in the recruitment and
retention of professional nurses dedicated to providing health care to
underserved populations.
Individual Eligibility Requirements
NELRP participants must meet the following eligibility requirements by the
FY 2006 application due date, March 30, 2006:
- Have received a
baccalaureate or associate degree in nursing (or an equivalent
degree), a diploma in nursing or a graduate degree in nursing from an
accredited school of nursing in a State
- Have outstanding
qualifying loans obtained for nursing education leading to a degree or
diploma in nursing as specified above
- Have completed
the nursing education program for which the loan balance applies
- Are a U.S.
citizen, U.S. national or a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
- Are employed
full time (32 hours or more per week) at a critical shortage facility
- Have a current
permanent unrestricted license as an RN in the State in which you
intends to practice or be authorized to practice in that State
pursuant to the
Nurse Licensure Compact and
- Have submitted a
complete NELRP Application, a signed NELRP Contract, supplemental
forms and all required documentation by 5 pm ET, March 30, 2006.
Individuals not eligible to participate in NELRP include
those who:
- Have a judgment
lien against your property for a debt owed to the United States. Such
individual is precluded from receiving Federal funds (including NELRP
funds), until the judgment lien has been paid in full
- Have a service
obligation (see
Application Kit > Definition of Terms) that will not be satisfied
by the NELRP application due date, March 30, 2006
- Have breached an
obligation for professional service to a Federal, State, or local
government entity
- Are currently in
default of a Federal debt (e.g., student loans, delinquent taxes,
etc.)
- Work for a nurse
staffing agency or travel nurse agency
- Work on an "as
needed" basis, this usually includes PRNs, Pool Nurses, or a person
who is not scheduled in a full-time capacity by NELRP definition
- Have a temporary
or inactive RN license
- Are a licensed
practical/vocational nurse
- Are a nursing
faculty member employed full-time in an educational institution or
- Are
self-employed.
Length of Service Obligation
All NELRP participants must enter into a contract agreeing to work full
time in an approved eligible health facility. For two years of service,
the NELRP will pay 60 percent of the participant's total qualifying loan
balance; for three years of service, the NELRP will pay 85 percent
of the participant's total qualifying loan balance. A participant who
agrees to serve two years may be eligible to amend the NELRP contract and
work a third year at an eligible health facility, for which the NELRP will
pay an additional 25 percent of the qualifying loan balance.
For more information, call NELRP toll-free 866-813-3753 or e-mail
NELRP@hrsa.gov
Or contact program staff:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-36
Rockville, Maryland 20857
Phone: (301) 443-3232
Fax: (301) 443-0791
Web:
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm
National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
Loan Repayment Program
The NHSC continually seeks clinicians dedicated to working with our
Nation's underserved. We have created a program to connect these unique
individuals with the communities that need them, and to support them
during their initial time of service. Fully trained health professionals
who are dedicated to working with the underserved and have qualifying
educational loans are eligible to compete for repayment of those loans if
they choose to serve in a community of greatest need. In addition to loan
repayment, these clinicians receive a competitive salary, some tax relief
benefits, and a chance to have a significant impact on a community.
To be eligible for the Loan Repayment Program (LRP), you must be a fully
trained:
- Allopathic or osteopathic
physician specializing in family medicine, general pediatrics, general
internal medicine, general psychiatry, or obstetrics/gynecology
- Primary care nurse practitioner
- Primary care physician assistant
- Certified nurse-midwife
- Dentist
- Dental hygienist
- Mental or behavioral health
professional (clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, licensed
professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, and psychiatric
nurse specialist)
Other eligibility requirements
include:
- Be free of judgment liens arising
from Federal debt
- Have no other existing service
commitment
- Serve full time (40 hours a week)
in the clinical practice of your profession
- Commit to providing primary care
service in a priority health professional shortage area for a minimum of
2 years
- Be a U.S. citizen with a valid,
unrestricted license and/or certificate for the State where you plan to
practice
Maximum repayment during the
required initial 2-year contract is $25,000 each year. You may be eligible
to continue your loan repayment beyond 2 years, 1 year at a time, to the
extent you have unpaid qualifying educational loans and continue to serve
at an eligible site. One-year amendments are awarded for a maximum of
$35,000 per year.
Clinicians choose their practice site before applying to the NHSC LRP,
allowing maximum flexibility to match the right clinicians with the right
communities. However, employment at a site does not guarantee
participation in the NHSC LRP.
Contacts:
Phone: (800) 221-9393
Web:
http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/get_involved/lrp.html
E-mail: nhsc@hrsa.gov
Health professions scholarships for Native Americans
The Indian Health
Service has recently announced the availability of $3.7 million in
health professions scholarship funds for fiscal year 2004. The grants
are intended to encourage American Indians and Alaska natives to enter
the health professions and to assure the availability of Native American
health professionals to serve their communities. Approximately 200
awards will be made under the Health Professions Preparatory and
Pregraduate Scholarship Programs for Indians, where the average award
for a full-time student is about $20,000. Approximately 240 awards will
be made under the Indian Health Scholarship Program, for which the
average award for a full-time student is about $23,500. The application
deadline is Feb. 28, 2004. For more information visit
http://www.ihs.gov/JobsCareerDevelop/DHPS/index.asp
