HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
AUTHORIZATION:
Public Health Service Act, Section 338B, 42 U.S.C. 254
(l-1), as amended; National Health Service Corps Amendments Act of 1987, Title
II, Public Law 101-597.
To ensure an adequate supply of trained health
professionals by assisting the repayment of qualifying educational loans in
return for service to populations located in selected health professional
shortage areas identified by the Secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Awards provide payments of up to $25,000 a year towards participants'
qualified government and commercial health professions undergraduate and
graduate education loans plus a tax assistance payment of 39 percent during
the first 2 years of practice at a selected NHSC Loan Repayment Service Site
under a written agreement with this program. For subsequent years, payments of
up to $35,000 a year plus a tax assistance payment of 39 percent may be made
available under a written agreement. Health professions given priority for
selection are those identified as needed by communities. For fiscal year 2002,
priority for selection was given to: (1) Primary care physicians; (2)
dentists; (3) certified nurse midwives; (4) certified nurse practitioners; (5)
physicians assistants; (6) clinical psychologists; (7) clinical social
workers; (8) psychiatric nurse specialists; (9) marriage and family
therapists; (10) licensed professional counselors; and (11) dental hygienists.
Contracts may be awarded to those who are available for service no later than
September 30, 2002.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: Individuals are eligible to
apply if they have (1) U.S. citizenship; (2) a health professions degree or
are in professional practice (they must hold an unrestricted health
professions license from the State in which they will be working, and be
eligible for selection for a Federal civil service appointment, or hold an
appointment as a commissioned officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps of the
U.S. Public Health Service); (3) not defaulted on any Federal debt or do not
have a court judgment against them; and (4) no existing service obligation.
Beneficiary Eligibility: Beneficiaries include
(1) Primary care physicians; (2) dentists; (3) certified nurse midwives; (4)
certified nurse practitioners; (5) physicians assistants; (6) clinical
psychologists; (7) clinical social workers; (8) psychiatric nurse specialists;
(9) marriage and family therapists; (10) licensed professional counselors; and
(11) dental hygienists.
Credentials/Documentation: Applicants must
submit: (1) Copy of all loan documentation; (2) proof of citizenship, if the
applicant was not born in the United States; and (3) other documentation as
required by the program.
Pre-application Coordination: None. This program is
excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure: The application form to be
used by this program has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). Applications may be obtained from the National Health Service Corps
Loan Repayment Program, by calling: 1-800-221-9393 or by emailing nhsc@mathewsgroup.com.
Award Procedure: Priority will be given to
individuals whose training is in a health discipline or specialty determined
by the Secretary for Health and Human Services to be needed by the NHSC, who
are nearest to availability for service, and who the Secretary determines are
committed to service in health professional shortage areas.
Deadlines: Applications for fiscal year 2003 must
be postmarked by March 28, 2003.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: About 120
Days.
Appeals: None.
Renewals: Contract amendments will be considered
according to the availability of appropriated funds and eligibility criteria
applied to the individual and the site at which that individual is employed.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula or matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Loan
repayments for 1 year of obligated service will be made no later than the end
of the fiscal year in which the individual completes such year of service.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: The DHHS Field Offices are to monitor
performance in private practice option (PPO) placements and participants
prepare necessary reports. In Health Center placements, performance is
reported on Bureau forms (OMB Clearance Number 0915-0004).
Audits: None.
Records: Financial records must be kept available
for 3 years after the end of the service obligation.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification: 75-0350-0-1-550.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $36,605,354; FY 02
est $49,820,000; and FY 03 est $74,670,325.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: From:
$6,612 to $69,500; $60,543 for new contract awards; $11,471 to $48,650;
$44,712 for contract amendments; $4,000 to $18,311; $31,867 for contract
adjustments.
There were 372 new contract awards, 305 contract amendments, and 14 contract
adjustments made in fiscal year 2001. It is expected that there will be 900
awards in fiscal year 2002 and 1,170 awards in fiscal year 2003.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Pertinent information is contained in Section 338B of Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 254) as amended by Title II, Public Law 100-177. The National
Health Service Corps Amendments of 1987, 45 CFR 100, and PHS Grants Policy
Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 94-50,000, (Rev.) April 1, 1994. Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking is pending.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters Office: Program Contact: Chief, Loan
Repayment Branch, Division of the National Health Service Corps., Bureau of
Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department
of Health and Human Services, 10th Floor, 4350 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD
20814. Telephone: (301) 594-4400. Public Information Phone: 1-800-435-6464.
Web Site Address: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nhsc
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
During fiscal year 2001, the program matched a total of
372 contracts to eligible clinicians with health professions degrees or
licenses.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Priority will be given to applicants who are individuals
whose training is in a health profession or specialty determined by the
Secretary to be needed by NHSC.
