Loan Repayment and Incentive Programs

The Capital AHEC can assist healthcare professionals find loan repayment and scholarship opportunities. We have partnered with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Texas Department of Rural Affairs (TDRA) to help advertise available programs.

• Children's Medicaid Loan Repayment Program (CMLRP)
  The Children's Medicaid Loan Repayment Program is available to physicians and dentists who provide services to children enrolled in Medicaid.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Physicians and Dentists
  

• Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program
  The two year return home rule of the J-1 Visa for Foreign Medical Graduates can be waived if the physician agrees to work in an underserved area for a minimum of three years.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Physicians with J-1 Visa
  
  
• NHSC Scholarship Program
  The National Health Service Corps scholarship pays tuition, required fees, and some other education costs, tax free, for as many as four years. Education costs may include books, clinical supplies, laboratory expenses, instruments, two sets of uniforms and travel for one clinical rotation.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Physicians, Dentists, Family Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse-Midwifes, Physician Assistants

• NHSC Loan Repayment Program - Application deadline for 2010: July 29
  The National Health Service Corps provides $50,000 (or the outstanding balance of qualifying student loans if it is less than $50,000), tax free, to primary care medical, dental and mental health clinicians in exchange for two years of service at an approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Physicians, Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse-Midwifes, Primary Care Physician Assistants, Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Health Service Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Psychiatric Nurse Specialists, Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Professional Counselors

• Physician Education Loan Repayment Program (PELRP)
  The purpose of the program is to recruit and retain qualified physicians to provide primary health care in areas of Texas that are medically under-served.
  TPCO announces a more frequent application schedule for PELRP
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Physicians

• Dental Education Loan Repayment Program (DELRP)
  The purpose of the program is to recruit and retain qualified dentists to provide dental care in areas of Texas that are under-served with respect to dental care.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Dentists

• Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program
  NELRP is a competitive program that repays 60 percent of the qualifying nursing education loan balance of Registered Nurses (RNs) selected for funding in exchange for 2 years of service at a critical shortage facility.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Nurses

• Rural Communities Healthcare Investment Program (RCHIP)
  The Rural Communities Health Care Investment Program (RCHIP) is a state-funded program for health professionals who practice in qualifying medically underserved communities in Texas. The program works as either a loan reimbursement program or a stipend program.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Healthcare Professionals other than Physicians
  

• Physician Assistant Loan Repayment Program (PALRP)
  The Rural Physician Assistant Loan Repayment Program (PALRP) provides loan reimbursement to physician assistants who practice in qualifying areas of rural Texas, in which there is a shortage of primary healthcare providers.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Physician Assistants
  

• Texas Health Service Corp (THSCP) - this is a stipend, not loan repayment
  The Texas Health Service Corps (THSC) Program is a state-funded stipend program for resident physicians pursuing primary care specialties and willing to practice in medically underserved communities in Texas.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: Resident Physicians

• Outstanding Rural Scholar Recognition Program (ORSRP)
  The Outstanding Rural Scholar Recognition Program is a competitive forgiveness loan program, which helps rural communities "grow their own" health care professionals. The program matches state funds with rural community funds to sponsor individuals pursuing health care professions that are needed in the sponsoring rural community. Upon licensure, the health care professional returns to the sponsoring rural community to practice health care.
  
  Eligible Disciplines: A sponsored community member who is enrolled or intends to enroll in an eligible academic institution to pursue a healthcare career.
  

The Texas Department of State Health Services has created a document for an easy side-by-side comparison of the following loan repayment programs: NHSC LRP, J1 Visa Waiver Program, PELRP, DELRP and CMLRP.

For more information on Loan Repayment and Incentive Programs, please contact Brian Sullivan at bsullivan@capitalahec.org.