The National Health Service Corps has created a program to connect health care professionals with the communities that need them, and to support them during their initial time of service. Fully trained health professionals who are dedicated to working with the underserved and have qualifying educational loans are eligible to compete for repayment of those loans if they choose to serve in a community of greatest need. In addition to loan repayment, these clinicians receive a competitive salary, some tax relief benefits, and a chance to have a significant impact on a community.

Eligibility requirements for licensed physicians include:

• Be free of judgment liens arising from Federal debt
• Have no other existing service commitment
• Serve full time (40 hours a week) in the clinical practice of your profession
• Commit to providing primary care service in a priority health professional shortage area for a minimum of 2 years
• Be a U.S. citizen with a valid, unrestricted driver's license and/or certificate for the State where you plan to practice

Maximum repayment during the required initial 2-year contract is $25,000 each year. A recipient may be eligible to continue the loan repayment beyond 2 years, 1 year at a time, to the extent the recipient has unpaid qualifying educational loans and continues to serve at an eligible site. One-year amendments are awarded for a maximum of $35,000 per year.

Clinicians choose their practice site before applying to the NHSC LRP, allowing maximum flexibility to match the right clinicians with the right communities. However, employment at a site does not guarantee participation in the NHSC LRP.

NHSC Scholarship Program
11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 801
Rockville, MD 20852
(800) 638-0824

Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Programs:

US Army Medical Corps
http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/

Air Force
http://www.airforce.com/education/healthcare/moneyForSchool.php

Navy
http://www.navy.com/healthcare/physicians

The Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program provides contracts for financial assistance to medical students in exchange for active duty service in the Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, and Navy). Obligations incurred in the program will be served as medical officer (physician) in the appropriate service. Application is made to each service. For each school year, up to four years full tuition, educational expenses, including textbooks (required and/or recommended), lab fees, medical instruments, and a monthly stipend for 10 1/2 months are provided. For each year of participation in the AFHPSP or a fraction thereof, students must serve one year in the appropriate service of the Armed Forces. The minimum obligation is presently 3 years. If selected, the student must participate in a residency and/or PG-1 in his/her respective armed service. Participation in a military residency program does not count toward discharge of the service obligation, although it does count toward promotion and retirement service. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen. Please consult recruiters in your area for further details or go to the web sites mentioned above.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
http://hsf.net/

This scholarship fund is available to Hispanic Americans. Awards range from $1,000 to $3,000. Students must be of Hispanic Heritage and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Selection is based on academic achievement as well as financial need.
The application deadline is October 15.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
55 Second St., Suite 1500
San Francisco, CA 94105
(877) 473-4636

National Medical Fellowship Scholarship
http://www.nmfonline.org

The mission of NMF has been to ensure that minority medical students receive the support they need to enter medical school, complete their medical education and reduce their total education debt, with the understanding that their increased participation in medicine and health care delivery to the underserved has important public health benefits. Minority representation in medicine is as critical as ever, making NMF's efforts essential.

The General Need-Based Scholarship Program is offered to first and second year medical students. Applicants must demonstrate and document financial need by submitting complete copies of their parents', spouse's and their own most recent 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ tax forms. All nontaxable income (e.g., AFDC, ADC, Social Security benefits, etc.) must also be documented by their appropriate agency. Applicants with neither taxable nor nontaxable income must provide verification of means of support. All parental financial data must be submitted in order to evaluate dependent status.

Scholarships are granted on the basis of financial need as determined by the student's total resources (including parental and spousal support), cost of education, and receipt of other scholarships and grants. Awards have ranged from $500 to $10,000.
The application deadline is June 30.

National Medical Fellowships
5 Hanover Square, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10004-2614
(212) 483-8880

Other Resources

The National Institute of Health
http://lrp.info.nih.gov/

State and Other Loan Repayment/Forgiveness and Scholarship Programs http://services.aamc.org/fed_loan_pub/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.welcome&CFID=6872739&CFTOKEN=36243a5-93cfaaf5-b69d-4398-b53e-e0ed4af6fcd8

Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA)
http://www.studentdo.com/

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
http://www.aacom.org/InfoFor/students/finaid/Pages/ArnsteinScholarship.aspx

International students should see:
http://www.edupass.org/finaid/

Fastweb Scholarship Search Data Base
http://www.fastweb.com

FinAid Scholarship Data Base
http://finaid.org/


Pat Peace, Director of Financial Services
LMU-DCOM Financial Services Office
6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway
Harrogate, TN 37752
Email: pat.peace@lmunet.edu
Office: 423.869.7107; 800.325.0900, ext. 7107
Fax: 423.869.7172