NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program

NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program is sponsored by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This program provides financial assistance to students in their final year of medical or dental school. Students must commit to providing primary care services in selected rural or urban Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for three years.

# NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program | NHSC U.S. Department of Health & Human ServicesHealth Resources & Services Administration * Current Loan Repayment Recipients * Prospective Loan Repayment Recipients * State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) * Auto-Approved NHSC Sites * Job Search & Provider Recruitment * Job Search Guidance and Tips * Health Workforce Connector * Mission, Work, and Impact * NHSC Program Fact Sheets * Contact the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) 3.

NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program # NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program ## We’ve closed the 2026 Students to Service Loan Repayment Program application cycle. * Read theStudents to Service Loan Repayment Application and Program Guidance (APG)(PDF - 611 KB). Review our definitions(PDF - 165 KB)to clearly understand the APG.

* Check out ourS2S LRP Application Checklist(PDF - 116 KB). * **Submitted your 2026 application? **Check for our emails, as all applicants will be notified of their award status by**April 15, 2026**.

Eligible students in the last year of medical, physician assistant, nursing, or dental school can receive loan repayment assistance from the NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (NHSC S2S LRP). In return, you provide at least three years of full-time service at an NHSC-approved site in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).

### Benefits of the S2S LRP By joining thousands of NHSC participants across the country, you have an opportunity to provide primary health services to communities in need. You will receive funds to repay your outstanding, qualifying, school loans. * NHSC loan repayment funds are exempt from federal income and employment taxes.

* You will receive up to $120,000 in loan repayment funds. We pay you in four annual installments (up to $30,000 per year) as long as you meet program requirements. * You agree to three years of service at an NHSC-approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).

* Full-time clinical service is 40 hours/week for at least 45 weeks/year. * Half-time clinical service is 20 hours/week for at least 45 weeks/year. * **Complete Repayment of****Qualifying Loans** After your initial three-year service contract, you may be eligible for additional loan repayment funds.

Continuation Contracts can help you pay any remaining school loans through one-year service extensions. * There is no guarantee that you will receive a continuation contract.

* **Application Launch Date:**August 26, 2025 * **Application Submission Deadline:**November 6, 2025 * **Medical and Dental Student Graduation Date:**July 1, 2026 * **Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, and Physician Assistant Graduation Date:**August 31, 2026 * **Notification of Award:**April 15, 2026 * **Contract Termination Deadline:** * 60 days from the effective date of the contract * At any time if the person who was awarded the contract has not received funds due ## Application information * Determine if you're eligible * Review the application requirements ## Determine if you're eligible Read and follow the NHSC S2S LRP APG(PDF - 611 KB).

### Requirements for an NHSC S2S LRP award * A United States citizen or U.S. national * Pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (M. D.) , Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.

O.) , Doctor of Dental Surgery (D. D.

S.) , Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (D. M.

D.)

, Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), or Physician Assistant (PA) degree in a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory * Enrolled as a full-time student in the last year of medical, physician assistant, nursing, or dental school with a graduation date during the application year* on or before: * July 1 for physicians and dentists * August 31 for nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, or physician assistants Note: Any classes that are not required or unrelated to the qualifying degree program will not count towards the hours required for full-time status.

*The application year applies to the fiscal year noted in the APG. * Eligible for federal employment. You should expect to serve your commitment as a salaried, non-federal employee of a public or private entity approved by the NHSC.

However, there may be vacancies that require federal employment, including a security clearance. * You must be eligible to hold an appointment as a Commissioned Officer of the Public Health Service") or as a federal civil servant. _**Note**_**:** There are additional, specific requirements for both medical students and dental students—you can find them in the NHSC S2S LRP APG.

### Are military reservists eligible? Yes. Find out about specific guidelines and requirements for military reservists.

### Eligible disciplines & specialties You must plan to train and become licensed to provide patient care in one of these disciplines and specialties: * General Internal Medicine * Psychiatry (including Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists) **Nurse Practitioner (NP)** **Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)** * Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) * Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) **Physician Assistant (PA)** **Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA) Provider** * Family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis * Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) ### Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA) Supplemental Award Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTAs) are areas that don't have enough maternity care health providers.

To address this issue, we are awarding maternity care health providers an additional loan repayment of up to $40,000 to work in these areas. If you receive an NHSC S2S LRP award and meet the requirements for the MCTA supplement, we will email you to accept it. The supplement is separate from the up to $120,000 NHSC S2S LRP award.

Eligible disciplines & specialties To be eligible for the MCTA supplemental award, you must: * Have unpaid qualifying school loans * Commit to providing primary health care services in **Maternity Care Target Areas**with a**shortage score of 16 or above** Supplemental award payment process S2S LRP participants who qualify for the supplemental award of up to $40,000 will receive four equal annual payments.

A participant who received a $120,000 S2S LRP award in four annual installments of $30,000, and then received a $40,000 supplemental award, would see their yearly installment payment increase by $10,000 for a total of $40,000 per year. We guide you through the application and award process: * Application Process, Requirements, and Guidance On average, it takes three weeks to complete an application.

This includes all required and supplemental documents. Be sure that the answers you provide in your application match your supporting documents. If we find they do not, we will reject your application.

You must submit a legible, complete online application. Your application must include all supporting documents by the application deadline. * Accept materials or requests to update a submitted application nor permit you to submit materials after the deadline * Fill in or contact you for missing information ### What is a complete application?

A complete application includes: * Required supporting documents * Additional supplemental documents ## Application requirements Refer to the NHSC S2S LRP APG(PDF - 611 KB) for complete requirements and instructions. We update the APG each year. In My BHW, complete each of the following sections: * **Eligibility Screening****.

** You must pass this initial screening portion of the application to continue with the application. * **General Information. ** Provide contact information such as your name, social security number, mailing and email addresses.

Provide information about your and your family's background. * **Education Information. ** Provide information about the degree program you are pursuing.

Provide information on each qualifying school loan for which you seek repayment. We will verify each loan. We will review supporting documents and contact lenders or holders.

We will check your credit report. Each of the loans must have: * Name and contact information for the lender/holder * Original amount disbursed * Original date of the loan * Current outstanding balance. The balance can be no more than 30 days from the date you submit your application.

* Type of loan. If a consolidated loan, additional questions will be asked: * Original date of consolidation * Original balance of consolidation Respond to the essay topic in 500 words or less and upload it to the application.

### Required supplemental documents An application is incomplete without these required supplemental documents: * **Proof of status as a United States citizen or United States national** _Acceptable documents:_ birth certificate, current U.S. passport’s ID page, or a certificate of citizenship or naturalization. _Unacceptable documents:_ permanent resident card, driver’s license, marriage certificate, or Social Security card.

* **Authorization to Release Information** The release authorizes identified entities to disclose information about you. It must include: * The last four digits of your social security number * The date you signed the form * Your handwritten signature * **Proof of Passage of Required Licensing Examinations** * Medical students must submit documents verifying that they have passed Step/Level 1 of the USMLE or the COMLEX.

* Dental students must submit documents verifying that they have passed Part I of the National Board Dental Examination. * Nursing students must submit documents of appropriate specialized training and certification.

* **Verification of Good Standing** A school official must complete and sign a report verifying: * You are in good standing * Your last day of classes is no later than June 30, 2026 * You will graduate before July 1, 2026, for physicians and dentists * You will graduate before August 31, 2026, for nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, or physician assistants We will verify for accuracy.

* **Letters of Recommendation** Submit two letters of recommendation, each on letterhead with a handwritten or digital signature: * One letter from an instructor * One additional letter of recommendation Recommendations should include a description of the recommender’s relationship to you. It should include a discussion of your interest in, and commitment to, a career in primary care and service populations and communities in need.

This must come from your current school and include information for at least the two most recent terms. An unofficial transcript is acceptable as long as it includes your name, school name, and grade point average (GPA) (may be pass/fail). * **Loan Information Verification** Provide two types of documents for each loan you submit: * Document One: **Account Statement** Current information on your qualifying school loans.

This document should: * Be on official letterhead or other clear proof that it comes from the lender/holder * Include the name of the borrower (that means the NHSC S2S LRP applicant) * Contain the account number * Include the date of the statement. It cannot be more than 30 days from the date you submit your application. * Include the current outstanding balance or the current payoff balance.

This total should include both principal and interest.

* Include the current interest rate * Document Two: **Disbursement Report** Verifies the originating loan information and should: * Be on official letterhead or other clear proof that it comes from the lender/holder * Include the name of the borrower * Contain the account number * Include the type of loan * Include the original loan date (must be prior to the date you submit your application) * Include the original loan amount * Include the purpose of the loan ### Additional supporting documents We may require you to submit additional documents based on responses on the online application.

You should only submit these documents if we list them on the “Supporting Documents” page of the online application. * **Verification of Disadvantaged Background** A school official must complete the Verification of Disadvantaged Background(PDF - 406 KB).

* **Verification of Existing Service Obligation** Proof from the entity for which you have an existing service obligation that you will complete service there prior to the NHSC application deadline. You will receive a receipt of submission once you successfully submit your online application. ### What happens during the application review process?

The S2S LRP application review process occurs over several months through independent, objective review. Allow at least 30 business days from submission for us to review your documents and update your application status. ### Do you provide status updates?

### How do you evaluate me? We use various selection factors and funding priorities to evaluate applicants of S2S LRP and determine who receives awards. ## Notifying award finalists If we select you as a finalist, you will receive a Confirmation of Interest email.

In it, we will provide a deadline for your response. To accept the S2S LRP award, you will electronically sign a copy of the contract. We will ask you for your banking information.

Once the HHS Secretary or their designee countersigns the contract, your service obligation begins. ### What if I don’t respond in time? If you do not respond to us by the deadline, your offer of award expires.

We will rescind your offer and offer it to an alternate. ### What if I decide not to accept the award? You may decline the award without penalty **prior to signing the contract**.

If you decide you do not want the award **after signing the contract**, notify us through the My BHW. * **If the HHS Secretary's designee has not yet countersigned the contract**, you will not incur a service obligation or any penalty for withdrawing. * **If the HHS Secretary's designee has already signed the contract**, you can request termination of the contract only under certain conditions.

### Will you notify me if you don't select me for an award? Yes. If we do not select you for an award, we will email you no later than April 15.

## Application & Program Guidance (APG) * NHSC SUD Workforce LRP APG(PDF - 740 KB) * NHSC Rural Community LRP APG(PDF - 732 KB) * NHSC S2S LRP APG(PDF - 611 KB) ### Program comparison chart * Loan Repayment Programs Comparison(PDF - 161 KB) * NHSC and Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Programs Comparison(PDF - 343 KB) * NHSC Dental Scholarship Programs Comparison(PDF - 74 KB) * NHSC and Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Programs Comparison(PDF - 144 KB) ### Related loan repayment & scholarship programs * School-based Loans & Scholarships * Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship * NHSC LRP Fact Sheet(PDF - 308 KB) * NHSC SUD Workforce LRP Fact Sheet(PDF) * NHSC Rural Community LRP Fact Sheet(PDF - 253 KB) * NHSC S2S LRP Fact Sheet(PDF - 101 KB) * NHSC LRP Fact Sheet – Spanish(PDF - 374 KB) * NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce LRP Fact Sheet – Spanish(PDF - 882 KB) * NHSC Rural Community LRP Fact Sheet – Spanish(PDF - 1 MB) * NHSC S2S LRP Fact Sheet – Spanish(PDF - 283 KB) * NHSC 11x17 Poster(PDF - 1 MB) * NHSC 8.

5x11 Poster(PDF - 932 KB) View data for NHSC participants across programs and disciplines ## More About the Program * National Advisory Council HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration Facebook")X")YouTube")LinkedIn")Instagram") * Freedom of Information Act * Health and Human Services")