District of Columbia Health Professional Loan Repayment Program

The DC Health Professional Loan Repayment Program helps recruit new primary care, dental, and mental health providers to underserved communities by creating a financial incentive for them to practice in designated shortage areas.

Eligibility
Licensed and certified physicians, dentists, psychiatrists, and other health professionals such as registered nurses, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.  Applicants that are District residents and graduates of DC schools are given priority to be accepted for loan repayment.

How the Program Works
In exchange for a commitment to practice full-time at a facility located in a designated shortage area, the District will provide loan repayment benefits to eligible providers.  Applicants are required to serve a minimum of two years, with an option to extend their service two additional years.  Based on the length of their service obligation, the providers will have a substantial amount of their student loan debt repaid:
                                         
                                                   Physicians/Dentists       Other Health Professionals
First Year of Service                 18% up to $21,600                  18% up to $11,800
Second Year of Service            26% up to $31,200                  26% up to $17,200
Third Year of Service                28% up to $33,600                  28% up to $18,500
Fourth Year of Service              28% up to $33,600                  28% up to $18,500 Total                                        100% up to $120,000                100% up to $66,000

Loan repayment programs in the states have shown that these programs recruit new providers to shortage areas by helping equalize the difference in salary between shortage and non-shortage areas.  In addition, these programs have been shown to improve retention rates for providers in shortage areas – creating a workforce that lives and works in the underserved community.

Funding for the Program
In Fiscal Year 2007, the District appropriated $300,000 to launch the DC Health Professional Loan Repayment Program.  An additional $200,000 was allocated in Fiscal Year 2008, which provides a total of $500,000 for the program.  In 2008, the District became eligible to receive up to 50 percent in matching funds for the contract costs from the federal government.  Title III, Section 3381, of the Public Health Service Act was enacted to increase the availability of primary health care in health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) by assisting states in operating programs for the repayment of educational loans of health professionals in return for their practice in HPSAs.

DC HPLRP Application
DC HPLRP Application Guidelines
Site Application
Certified Sites for the DC Health Professional Loan Repayment Program
Tax Identification Number and Certification Form