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National Health Service Corps

For 40 years, the National Health Service Corps, administered by the Health Resources and Service Administration, has helped to build healthy communities by supporting qualified health care providers dedicated to working in areas of the United States with limited access to care.

Across the country, over 10.4 million people are currently receiving health care from National Health Service Corps (NHSC) clinicians.  The NHSC repays educational loans and provides scholarships to primary care health care providers who practice in areas of the country that have too few health care professionals to serve people who live there. As of September 30, 2012, nearly 10,000 primary care physicians, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and behavioral health professionals are working in these areas.

As a result of historic investments by the Obama Administration the numbers of clinicians in the National Health Service Corps are at all-time highs, nearly tripling from 3,600 in 2008 to nearly 10,000 in 2012.

Investing in the Next Generation of Providers

In addition to National Health Service Corps clinicians currently providing health care, the Corps also invests in the training of the next generation of providers through scholarships and the Students to Service Loan Repayment program.  There are currently more than 1,000 students, residents, and health providers preparing to go into practice who are receiving support from these programs.  These future primary care providers will serve in communities where they are needed most.

National Health Service Corps

• The full-time National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program offers up to $60,000 in tax-free loan repayment for 2 years of service, and up to $140,000 for a total of 5 years of service.
• National Health Service Corps scholars commit to serve in the Corps upon completion of their training — 1 year for each year of support (at least 2 years).
• The Students to Service Loan Repayment Program provides loan repayment assistance of up to $120,000 to medical students (MD and DO) in their last year of school, in return for a commitment to provide primary health care services in eligible Health Professional Shortage Areas of greatest need for at least 3 years.
• The State Loan Repayment Program provides grants to states to operate their own loan repayment programs. Similar to the NHSC Loan Repayment Program, participants in the state programs provide primary health services in Health Professional Shortage Areas in exchange for repayment of their qualifying educational loans.  States are required to match federal grant funds dollar-for-dollar with non-federal funds.
• According to self-reports by the nearly 10,000 Corps clinicians currently providing care – 13 percent are African American, 10 percent are Hispanic, 7 percent are Asian or Pacific Islander, and 2 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native. 
• In FY 2012, African American physicians represent 17 percent of the Corps physicians which exceeds their 6.3 percent representation within the national physician workforce. And, Hispanic physicians represent 16 percent of the Corps physicians, exceeding their 5.5 percent representation in the national physician workforce.
• According to self-reports more than half of by the nearly 1,000 Corps scholars in the pipeline are minorities – 26 percent are Hispanic, 19 percent are African American, 12 percent are Asian or Pacific Islander, and 2 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native.