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Student Loan Repayment Programs

State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP)

Healthcare professionals serving in health professional shortage areas (HPSA) across the state may be eligible for Louisiana’s State Loan Repayment Program. This program repays governmental or commercial educational loans in exchange for serving in rural and underserved facilities.

Physicians, psychiatrists and dentists can receive up to $30,000 annually for a three-year initial commitment. Other healthcare professionals can receive up to $20,000 annually for a three-year initial commitment. Participants who complete their original three-year commitment in compliance, remain in an eligible site in a HPSA, and still have educational loans to repay may be able to extend their commitment with a two-year renewal to receive $15,000 annually.

Eligible Disciplines:

Primary Care Physicians (allopathic or osteopathic)
Primary care physician assistants
Primary care certified nurse practitioners
Dentists (DDS or DMD general or pediatric)
Certified nurse midwives
Registered clinical dental hygienists
Licensed clinical or counseling psychologists (Ph.D. or equivalent required)
Health service psychologists (Ph.D. or equivalent required)
Psychiatric nurse specialists
Licensed professional counselors (Masters or Ph.D. required)
Marriage and family therapists (Masters or Ph.D. required)
Licensed clinical social workers (Masters or Ph.D. required)
Alcohol and substance abuse counselors (Masters of Ph.D. required)

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Louisiana Physician Loan Repayment Program

Physicians serving in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) across the state may be eligible for the Louisiana Physician Loan Repayment Program. This program repays governmental or commercial educational loans in exchange for serving in underserved facilities.

Physicians can receive up to $30,000 annually for a five-year commitment. Participants who complete their original five-year commitment in compliance, remain in an eligible site in a HPSA, and still have educational loans to repay may be able to extend their commitment with a two-year renewal to receive $15,000 annually.

This loan repayment program offers primary care MD’s and DO’s the opportunity to have their student loans repaid in exchange for practicing in underserved communities.

Physicians (allopathic or osteopathic) listed below are eligible to receive a Physician Loan Repayment Program award (to include those in the final year of their residency):

General practice
Family practice
Obstetrics/gynecology
Internal medicine
Pediatrics
Emergency medicine
General psychiatry

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National Health Service Corps

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) offers tax-free loan repayment assistance to support qualified clinicians who work at an NHSC-approved site in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area. Well-Ahead provides technical assistance to facilities and healthcare students and professionals when applying for NHSC scholarship and repayment programs.

Full-time service: Up to $50,000 for a two-year initial term

Half-time service: Up to $25,000 for a two-year initial term

Eligible Disciplines:

Primary Care Physicians (allopathic or osteopathic)
Primary care physician assistants
Primary care certified nurse practitioners
Dentists (DDS or DMD general or pediatric)
Certified nurse midwives
Registered clinical dental hygienists
Licensed clinical or counseling psychologists (Ph.D. or equivalent required)
Health service psychologists (Ph.D. or equivalent required)
Psychiatric nurse specialists
Licensed professional counselors (Masters or Ph.D. required)
Marriage and family therapists (Masters or Ph.D. required)
Licensed clinical social workers (Masters or Ph.D. required)
Alcohol and substance abuse counselors (Masters of Ph.D. required)

Rural Health Scholars Program

The Rural Health Scholars Program encourages healthcare professional students to practice in Louisiana’s health professional shortage areas (HPSAs)

by building partnerships between rural and underserved healthcare facilities and colleges and universities. Each grant year, accepted students will participate in a short-term rotation to gain experience in a rural healthcare setting.

Primary Care Rural Preceptorship Program (PCRPP)

The Primary Care Rural Preceptorship Program (PCRPP) is a hands-on primary care experience designed to expose medical students to the professional, business and social aspects of practicing primary medicine in rural and/or medically underserved areas of Louisiana. The program provides medical students the opportunity to practice skills and techniques learned in the medical school classroom while developing an understanding of the values and goals of a primary care medical practice.

Currently Louisiana has a shortage of family physicians, pediatricians and internal medicine physicians. Approximately 25 percent of the state’s population lives in rural area, however, less than 14 percent of the state’s physicians practice in rural and underserved areas. PCRPP seeks to increase the number of rural physicians by encouraging Louisiana medical students to return to rural communities after completing medical school to begin their medical practice.

Education and Training

Rural Health Scholars Program

The Rural Health Scholars Program encourages healthcare professional students to practice in Louisiana’s health professional shortage areas (HPSAs)

by building partnerships between rural and underserved healthcare facilities and colleges and universities. Each grant year accepted students will participate in a short-term rotation to gain experience in a rural healthcare setting.

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Primary Care Rural Preceptorship Program (PCRPP)

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Workforce Support

3RNET Job Board

A platform connecting healthcare professionals with job opportunities in rural and underserved areas of Louisiana.

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RHI Toolkit

Resources to assist rural health facilities in attracting and retaining healthcare professionals.

Rural Workforce Recruitment for Retention Readiness

This workshop focused on navigating recruitment and retention efforts in today’s workforce environment, including marketing your rural opportunity to candidates, managing your rural recruitment in a virtual world, and retention best practices that can position you as an employer of choice.