Health Service Corps

The purpose of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs is to recruit and retain primary care medical, nursing, dental, and behavioral/mental health clinicians in eligible communities of need designated as health professional shortage areas. NHSC program applicants must be U.S citizens or U.S nationals. Visit the NHSC to learn more about these programs.

NHSC Scholarship Program

Students pursuing a career as a primary care physician (MD or DO), nurse practitioner, physician assistant, general or pediatric dentist, or certified nurse-midwife are eligible to apply for the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program. In exchange for tuition, required fees, and a monthly support stipend, eligible applicants must serve in a rural and underserved community in a Health Professional Shortage Area upon graduation and licensure. Visit the NHSC Scholarship Program for more information.

NHSC Loan Repayment Program

Fully licensed clinicians with certifications in primary care medicine (family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, internal medicine, geriatrics, general pediatrics, general psychiatry), physician assistant, nurse practitioner (adult, family, pediatric, psychiatric/mental health, geriatrics, and women's health), general or pediatric dentistry, mental and behavioral health psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, and marriage and family therapist are eligible to apply for loan repayment assistance in exchange for working in a health professional shortage area (HPSA) at an approved NHSC site. Loan repayment funding is tied to the HPSA score and may range from $30,000 to $50,000 in tax-free loan repayment awards in exchange for two years of full-time service in an HPSA. A half-time service commitment option is available. Visit the NHSC Loan Repayment Program for more information, or review our list of frequently asked questions.

• NHSC Loan Repayment Program - Apply here

NHSC Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Loan Repayment Program

The NHSC Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program (LRP) offers student loan repayment awards of up to $75,000 to qualified clinicians in exchange for three years of service at an NHSC-approved site providing SUD services. These sites are located in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) around the country in rural, urban, and frontier communities.

NHSC-approved sites are generally outpatient facilities providing primary medical, dental, and/or mental and behavioral health services. These facilities may be federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, state or federal correctional facilities, or free clinics. The full list of site types is available at nhsc.hrsa.gov.

Applicants from an NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility may receive priority for the NHSC SUD Workforce LRP if they have a DATA 2000 waiver to administer medication-assisted treatment (MAT); serve in an opioid treatment program; or are certified in substance use disorder interventions, such as master’s–level substance use disorder counselors.
HRSA is opening this loan repayment opportunity to a broader pool of eligible disciplines and specialties, including physicians; nurse practitioners; physician assistants who are eligible to administer MAT; behavioral health professionals; substance use disorder counselors; registered nurses; and pharmacists.

NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program

NHSC Students to Service award recipients receive up to $120,000 tax-free for three years of full-time service or six years of part-time service. Upon completion of residency, Students to Service award recipients serve as primary care providers in an NHSC-approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) of greatest need.

NHSC NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program

This program targets nurse faculty, advanced practice registered nurses and registered nurses who either work in a critical shortage facility or nurse faculty employed at an accredited school of nursing. A Critical Shortage Facility is a health care facility located in, designated as, or serving a primary medical care or mental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Funding preference is given to nurses based on the greatest financial need, the type of facility, and the mental health or primary care HPSA designation. Visit the NHSC Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program for more information.

NHSC NURSE Corps Scholarship Program (NCSP)

NURSE Corps Scholarship Program (NCSP) enables students accepted or enrolled in a diploma, associate, baccalaureate or graduate nursing programs (including Nursing Bridge Programs: RN to BSN; RN to NP; and non-nursing Bachelor's to NP) are eligible to receive funding for tuition, fees and other educational costs in exchange for working at an eligible Critical Shortage Facility (CSF) upon graduation. For more information visit the NCSP website.

NHSC Site Applications

The new NHSC site application cycle is typically around April of each year and remains open for a few weeks. Please review the NHSC Site Reference Guide for required documentation. If you do not provide all documentation required, your site application may be denied. The benefits of becoming an NHSC site include:

• Recruitment and retention of NHSC Loan Repayment, NHSC Scholarship, and NHSC Student to Service providers.
• Utilization of the NHSC Job Center.
• Participation in NHSC Virtual Job Fairs.
• Networking with NHSC sites around the country.

The NHSC Site Reference Guide may be found at nhsc.hrsa.gov. For more information regarding the benefits and eligibility requirements of NHSC sites, please contact Landon Cordes via email.