AUTHORIZATION:

Public Health Service Act, Title III, Sections 338A and 338C-E, 338G.

OBJECTIVES:

To increase the supply of primary care physicians, dentists, behavioral and mental health professionals, certified nurse midwives, certified family nurse practitioners, and physician assistants and, if needed by the National Health Service Corps, other health professionals in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) within the United States by providing service-obligated scholarships to health professions students.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Direct Payments for Specified Use Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Service-obligated scholarships for full-time students of allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) medicine, dentistry, family nurse practitioner, nurse midwifery, and primary care physician assistants. Other health disciplines may be included if needed by National Health Service Corps. Scholarships pay tuition and required fees to the school, a stipend to students and a single annual payment to the student to assist with other reasonable educational expenses. Reasonable expenses include books, supplies, equipment, uniforms, travel for the provision of clinical services, etc. The program requires a 1 year of service with a minimum 2-year service commitment post graduation. A maximum of 4 years of support may be awarded. Service is primarily a nonfederal salaried or contracted employee of a public or private non-profit entity, providing full-time primary health services. Services may also be in a fee for service private practice setting, or a Federal employee in Federal health systems such as the Indian Health Service, Immigration Health Service or Bureau of Prisons. Service sites are selected by the scholarship recipient from the list of high priority sites in HPSAs identified by the NHSC. Physicians receive their site list at the beginning of their last year of residency training; nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and physician assistants receive their site list within 6 months of their graduation. Service sites are limited to the United States, territories, and successor States to the Trust Territories, the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Deferments of service are granted to physicians to complete residencies in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and obstetrics/gynecology.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   At the time of award, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national. The applicant must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited school in the U.S., in a course of study leading to a degree in medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or other health professions. The applicant must be free of any Federal judgment liens or service obligation, have not defaulted on a Federal debt, and have no conflicting service obligation. The applicant must submit an application and a signed contract to the National Health Service Corps, Division of Applications and Awards, the Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service by the last Friday in March, agreeing to accept payment of scholarship and provide full-time primary health services in a Health Professional Shortage Area.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   U.S. citizens or nationals enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a State in a course of study leading to a degree in medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry or other health profession.

Credentials/Documentation:   Applicants should review the individual HRSA Guidance documents issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Pre-application Coordination:   Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. HRSA requires all applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov.

All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. Based on the advice of the objective review committee, the HRSA program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions.

Award Procedure:   NHSC scholarship awards are very competitive; the Program anticipates more applicants for scholarship awards than there are funds available. The applications of individuals who meet the eligibility criteria are scored numerically. All applicants will be notified if they are selected.

Deadlines:   Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   

Notification to successful and rejected applicants is made no later than 6 months after deadline from receipt of application.

Appeals:   

Not Applicable.

Renewals:   

Renewal applications are not necessary for students in compliance; contracts may be multi-year funded through graduation (1 to 4 years, if the applicant signs the contract through the graduation date).

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ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.
Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   

Each award covers 1 to 4 years of support, as requested. No awardees may receive more than 4 years of support. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Direct Deposit in recipients accounts through PSC.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Annual reports by schools indicating average student educational expenses. The academic institution where the student is enrolled must complete and submit a Verification of Enrollment Form each semester as a full-time student pursuing the program for which the scholarship was awarded.

The employing facility must complete and send a semi-annual Employment Certification Form verifying that the participating health professional is providing full-time. The certification includes a signature by an appropriate official of the facility. No cash reports are required. No progress reports are required. No expenditure reports are required. No performance monitoring is required.

Audits:   Not Applicable.

Records:   None.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:  

75-0350-0-1-550.

Obligations:   (Direct Payments for Specified Use) FY 08 $14,679,266; FY 09 est $9,208,741; FY 10 est $12,258,800

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  

$40,000-$320,000 per year, with the average award being $181,400.

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