The Minnesota Department of Health's Office of Rural Health and Primary Care administers loan forgiveness programs for the following health professionals:
- rural and urban physicians: primary care residents or students (family practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics, psychiatry)
- Mid-level practitioners: nurse practitioner students, physician assistant students, certified nurse midwife students, nurse anesthetist students or advanced clinical nurse specialist students
- Nurses: licensed practical nurse students or registered nurse students
- Dentists: dental students or licensed dentists
- Pharmacists: students or residents in a pharmacy program or licensed pharmacists
- Allied Health Care Tech Faculty: students studying to become allied health care instructors
- Nurse Faculty: Students studying to become nursing instructors
Applications for these programs are available after July 1 of each year and due December 1, and can be requested from:
Minnesota Department of Health
Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Tel: (651) 201-3870 or (800) 366-5424 (Minnesota only)
Web: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/funding/loans/index.html
Federal Health Professions Programs
Various federal scholarship and loan programs are available for students interested in health professions, such as nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry or medicine. Campus-based programs include the Health Professions Student Loan Program, the Primary Care Loan Program, Loans for Disadvantaged Students Program and Nursing Student Loan Program.
Additional health loan repayment programs may be available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
To apply, students should contact the financial aid office at the school where they intend to apply or where they are enrolled.
For more information, visit bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/ or e-mail flrpinfo@hrsa.gov with questions.
