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National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program

The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program recruits health professionals to work in selected health professional shortage areas and, in return, helps repay their qualifying educational loans. 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. Maximum repayment during the required initial two-year contract is $25,000 each year. Participants may extend loan repayments beyond two years, one year at a time, to the extent they have unpaid qualifying educational loans and serve at an eligible site.

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) offers primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health care providers the opportunity to have their student loans repaid, while earning a competitive salary, in exchange for providing health care in urban, rural, or tribal communities with limited access to care.

NHSC's mission is to build healthy communities by supporting qualified medical, dental, mental and behavioral health care providers working in areas of the United States with limited access to care.

The NHSC LRP offers two levels of funding, based upon the need of the community in which a provider works, as defined by a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score.

Full-Time Option:

2 years of full-time service (minimum 40 hours/week, 45 weeks/year) at an NHSC-approved site. 

  • For all health professionals, except as noted below: 32 hours/week providing patient care at an NHSC-approved site. 

  • For OB/GYNs, Certified Nurse-Midwives, Pediatric Dentists and Geriatric Service providers: 21 hours/week providing care at an NHSC-approved site; 19 hours/week providing patient care at an alternate site. 

  • No more than 8 hours/week may be spent on practice-related duties. 

  • Up to 8 hours/week may be spent teaching in a clinical setting.

Half-Time Option:

2 years of half-time service (minimum 20 hours/week, 45 weeks/year) at an NHSC-approved site.

  • For all health professionals, except as noted below: 16 hours/week providing patient care at an NHSC-approved site.

  • For OB/GYNs, Certified Nurse-Midwives, Pediatric Dentists and Geriatric Service providers: 21 hours/week providing care at an NHSC-approved site; 19 hours/week providing patient care at an alternate site. 

  • For OB/GYNs, Certified Nurse-Midwives, Pediatric Dentists and Geriatric Service providers: 11 hours/week providing patient care at an NHSC-approved site; 9 hours providing patient care at an alternate site.

  • No more than 4 hours/week may be spent on practice-related duties or teaching.

Download the Brochure for more information