Kentucky State Loan Repayment Program Accepting Applications from Health Care Providers

HAZARD, Ky. (Sept. 7, 2020) — The Kentucky State Loan Repayment Program (KSLRP) is now accepting applications from health care providers seeking help with paying off student loan debt.

KSLRP is a loan repayment assistance program that seeks to aid in the recruitment and retention of health care providers employed in rural and underserved communities across the Commonwealth. Applicants selected to participate in the competitive program agree to work full time for two years providing primary care services at an eligible practice site located in a Health Professional Shortage Area. Participants receive tax-free student loan repayment awards in exchange for their service commitment.

The Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH) serves as the administrator for KSLRP, which is funded through the National Health Service Corps, a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Workforce.

Maximum annual awards range from $10,000 to $40,000, depending on applicants’ disciplines and specialties, level of loan indebtedness and sponsor commitment level.

The current application window runs through Oct. 1. The deadline to submit completed application materials is Thursday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. EST.

Eligible KSLRP applicants include physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, registered nurses, dentists, registered dental hygienists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, health service psychologists, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurse specialists, alcohol and substance abuse counselors, and pharmacists.

Common practice sites include federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, community mental health facilities, state and county health department clinics, free clinics, critical access hospitals affiliated with a qualified outpatient clinic, correctional or detention facilities, and private practices. Practice sites must be public or nonprofit private entities.

KSLRP is a 50/50 match program: For every federal dollar provided by KSLRP, participants must have a 1:1 match from a sponsor source. Sponsors can include employers at the practice site; private foundations, corporations, community

organizations, and/or philanthropies; and, rurally-oriented organizations requesting that their funds be used to support the placement of practitioners in rural areas.

Participants’ service commitment begins in January 2021.

The program also allows past participants to apply for one-year extension contracts.

Program guidelines and all application materials can be found online at www.kyruralhealth.org/KSLRP.

For more information, please contact Lisa Garza (lisa.garza@uky.edu; 606-439-3557, Ext. 83490).

About the Kentucky Office of Rural Health

The Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH), established in 1991, is a federal-state partnership authorized by federal legislation. The UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health, located in Hazard, serves as the federally-designated Kentucky Office of Rural Health. The mission of KORH is to support the health and well-being of Kentuckians by promoting access to rural health services. The program provides a framework for linking small rural communities with local, state and federal resources while working toward long-term solutions to rural health issues. KORH assists clinicians, administrators and consumers in finding ways to improve communications, finances and access to quality health care while ensuring that funding agencies and policymakers are made aware of the needs of rural communities.