Loan Repayment Programs (LRP)

Healthcare professionals may apply for the National Health Service Corps’ (NHSC) state loan repayment programs (SLRP). The SLRP provides cost-sharing grants to various states and the states utilize these grants to offer loan repayment programs for health care professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists. To qualify, you must work in a health professional shortage area (HPSA) for a minimum of 2 years (full-time) or 4 years (half-time). Applicants may receive multiple scholarships and other repayment assistance through the SLRP. The assistance amount will vary between states.

Health Professional Grants

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) provides a list of different LRPs for various sectors of domestic affairs. The programs provide a monetary incentive for healthcare professionals to specialize in fields such as agriculture, disease state management (e.g., HIV), and public assistance programs (e.g., smoking cessation programs, Medicare enrollment assistance). In addition, there are grants for healthcare professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds such as the Faculty Loan Repayment Program (FLRP) or minorities such as the Indian Health Service (IHS) Education Loan Repayment.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

The NIMHD provides loan repayment assistance for healthcare professionals that conduct health disparity or clinical research for a minimum of two years. You may qualify if you complete research in basic, clinical, behavioral, social sciences, or health service research focused on health disparities. The NIMHD also provides extramural loan repayment assistance for healthcare professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds who conduct clinical research on health conditions.

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