Mission
To improve access to care and address health professional shortages that cause disparities in health through the recruitment and retention of health professionals who provide healthcare services in medically underserved communities.
Through the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP), licensed primary care, dental, and mental health clinicians in eligible disciplines can receive loan repayment assistance. In exchange for loan repayment, you must serve at least two years of service at an approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Review the HPLRP Eligibility Guidelines for more information about qualified disciplines and to learn more about the service terms.
The Health Professional Loan Repayment Program 2025 application cycle is now closed. The application deadline was March 11, 2025.
Sign up for notifications and be the first to know when we open.
After You Apply
All entries submitted through the electronic application will be reviewed after the application deadline. Applications are reviewed to determine their completeness for scoring and whether or not the applicant meets program eligibility guidelines. All applicants will be notified of their application status by April 30.
The HPLRP Board will evaluate and score all complete and eligible applications leading up to their June meeting. At this meeting, the HPLRP Board will determine award recipients. You will be notified if you become an award finalist by July 1st.
Notifying Award Finalists
If you become an award finalist, we will email you with information about next steps.
We will ask you to confirm:
- Your continued interest in receiving an award.
- The validity of your student loan account(s) and employment information you provided us in your application.
- That you have read and understand the HPLRP service terms and requirements. (We ask you to e-sign an acknowledgment if you receive and accept an award.)
We will ask you to provide:
- Information on how your student loan lenders accept payment. We use this to ensure award funds can be sent directly to your lender if you receive an award.
If you choose to accept your HPLRP award, we will:
- Complete a credit check to ensure you are free from judgments arising from federal debt after the award is accepted.
- Provide you with a formal service contract for you to sign electronically
- Please note that during your service commitment, you will be asked to complete the Employment Verification Form (EVF) every 6 months into your service contract.
Applicants not selected as an award finalists will enter a waitlist. Based on the HPLRP Board’s discretion, waitlist applicants may be considered for awards depending on the availability of funding.
- If you are not selected for an award, you will be notified by email no later than September 30.
To host HPLRP providers, a practice site must:
- Be located in a federally designated HPSA in Rhode Island.
- Be a public or private not-for-profit outpatient facility.
- Pay the provider a prevailing wage.
- Use a Sliding Fee Discount program to ensure patients have access to all primary care services for the site type (i.e. behavioral health, dental, etc.).
Sites can apply to host HPLRP providers at any time! Please complete the Rhode Island HPLRP Site application and or reach out to us with question.
Click here to access the Rhode Island HPLRP Site Application.
What we do
- Offer health education loan repayments to primary care, dentistry, and mental health professionals that have made a commitment to practice in medically underserved communities.
- Review, and evaluate applications from healthcare professionals and sites to determine program eligibility based on regulations and the availability of funding.
Other Resources
Explore Loan Repayment & Support Navigation ToolThis Loan Repayment & Support Navigation Tool is designed to help health professionals and those seeking health careers become aware of the potential loan repayment program options available in Rhode Island. Please use this resource to explore what loan repayment programs may be available to you.
Resources/Opportunities through the National Health Service Corps:
Federal loan repayment programs:
- National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program
- National Health Service Corps Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program
- National Health Service Corps Rural Community Loan Repayment Program
- Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP)
- National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program
Federal scholarships:
Resources/Opportunities through the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority:
RISLA is a non-profit agency offering, college planning services, low cost student loans, scholarships, and student refinancing options to students and families nationwide.
Resources/Opportunities through Wavemaker Fellowship:
The Wavemaker Fellowship provides a financial incentive for health professional working in Rhode Island in the form of an annual refundable tax credit against their Rhode Island income tax to defray the cost of student loan repayments.