Loan Repayment Program

The Health Professional Loan Repayment Program is currently accepting applications for the 2012 cycle - January 1 through April 30, 2012.

Since 2010, state funding has been reduced for this program. Therefore, only those applicants who meet the eligibility requirements listed below and are employed at an eligible site may apply at this time.  

If you are interested in applying for loan repayment see "How to Apply" below for links and application forms.  Please review the 2012 Guidelines and Terms of Agreement for complete eligibility requirements.

To be eligible, the site must either be located in a Federal Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), or have a HPSA designation.

To find out if your site qualifies go to: www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/ocrh/HPSA/hpsa1.htm.  The site must meet the HPSA requirement AND have an implemented and posted Sliding Fee Discount Schedule.

Eligible Providers

  • Physician (MD or DO, or Psychiatrist)
  • Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner
  • Midwife (Certified Nurse)
  • Dentist
  • Dental Hygienist

 To be eligible to apply the provider must:

  • Be employed or have a contract to begin seeing patients no later than July 1, 2012.

  • Submit documentation of eligible outstanding educational debt. (Does not include Parent Plus Loans, loans with a cosigner, or loans not in your name.)

  • Be a United States citizen. (Permanent residents do not qualify.)

  • Provide primary care and not specialty care.

  • Not work in an urgent/walk-in clinic, in specialty care, at a hospital, or through a placement agency. Provider must be a permanent employee of the site.

  • Sign a program contract to serve for a minimum of two years or pay funds back with penalty (see 2012 Guidelines and Terms of Agreement for penalty details).
     

Award

The Loan Repayment program provides up to $35,000 per year for a minimum of two years. The service obligation period is based on full time - 40 or more hours per week as defined in the 2012 Guidelines and Terms of Agreement.

The original award amount cannot exceed $70,000, or the eligible outstanding educational debt amount, whichever is less.  There may be an opportunity to apply for additional years at $25,000 per year based on remaining eligible debt and funds available.

The award period is divided into service credit quarters. Credit is earned for service during the quarter and a payment is made at the end of each quarter. Service credit is confirmed at the end of each quarter through a Service Verification Form that participants and employers complete.

All program funds must be fully and directly applied to the approved lender(s) identified in the award notification.
 

How to Apply

The 2012 online Loan Repayment Program Application will be available in January 2012.  All attachments must be postmarked no later than April 30, 2012.  Faxes are not accepted.

Before you begin the application you will need to have the following information available:

  • Employer name, address, and employer contact person’s name, phone number and email address.
  • Lender statements with names, addresses and current balances.
  • Name, dates and degree from college/universities you have attended.
  • If applicable, dates and place of residency, internship, or preceptorship.
  • Licensure information, date of license and license number (includes licenses from other states).
  • If applicable, Medicaid Core Provider Number.
  • Employment start date (month, day, and year).
  • Break-out of the number of patients you see (Medicare/Medicaid, uninsured, sliding fee, charity)
  • List of rural counties (both Washington and other states) you have lived in, the dates, zip code and length of time you lived there.
  • If applicable, Medicare Core Provider Number.

For question or more information:
Email: health@hecb.wa.gov
Phone: Chris Wilkins at 360-596-4817
 

Health Professional Loan Repayment Site Information

The 2013 Site Application will open in July 2012. Due to the suspension of program funding only those sites that meet the federal criteria may apply.  

To be eligible, the site must either be located in a Federal Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or have an HPSA designation. To find out if your site qualifies you can go to: www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/ocrh/HPSA/hpsa1.htm

In addition to the site meeting the HPSA requirement, the site must also have an implemented and posted Sliding Fee Discount Schedule.  Previous sites must apply each year to compete to be on the eligible site list.  If your organization has several clinics, each clinic must apply individually.

The following information explains the process to apply to become an eligible site:

  • A site interested in becoming eligible for loan repayment must submit an online application. The next opportunity for the site to do this will be in July 2012.

  • You can apply for multiple professions.

  • You can apply for recruitment and/or retention of a current employee.

  • Site applications are reviewed, scored, and ranked by profession.

  • Eligible sites are selected and posted with the online provider Loan Repayment Application in January each year.

  • Site and profession(s) must be approved prior to the individual provider being eligible to apply.

Both the site applications and provider applications are a competitive process.  Not all who apply will be approved or awarded.

The state Department of Health (DOH) oversees the site application process. To access the online application, click here: https://fortress.wa.gov/hecb/portal/, then click on the student registration link in the blue, left-side box and follow the directions.


For more information contact:

Email:  John Hanson
Phone: 360.236.2819

Email:  Mary Roberts
Phone: 360.236.2804

Email:  Chris Wilkins

Phone: 360.596.4817