Arkansas Health Professionals – Primary Care, Mental Health & Dental
The Office of Rural Health & Primary Care (ORHPC) is engaged in placement of healthcare providers in medically underserved areas and health professional shortage areas in rural Arkansas. Serving as the state liaison for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), health professionals are matched with clinical sites in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), often in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship and loan repayment benefits in exchange for a service commitment.
Find out if your site address is in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for Primary Care, Mental Health, or Dental, or if it is in a Medically Underserved Area/Population (MUA/P).
Find more information about programs you may qualify for.
Loan Repayment Programs
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program
Subscribe with HRSA to be notified when the NHSC LRP application opens.
The NHSC Loan Repayment program provides loan repayment assistance to licensed primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health providers who serve in communities with limited access to health care. There are both full-time and half-time options for service commitment. The dollar amount of assistance and length of service depend on participation in either the full- or half-time and on the need on the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score of the site.
In order to apply for the loan repayment program, you must:
- be licensed to practice in an NHSC-eligible discipline
- have a job at an NHSC-approved site
- have unpaid, qualifying educational loans
Primary care providers working full-time at an NHSC-approved site with a HPSA score of 14 or above can receive up to $50,000 in loan repayment for committing to serve for two years. Primary care providers working full-time at an NHSC-approved site with a HPSA score of 13 or below can receive up to $30,000 in loan repayment for committing to serve at the site for two years. At the end of the two year service requirement, Corps members may apply to continue their service and receive additional loan repayment. With continued service, providers may be able to pay off all their student loans!
- For more information, visit National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment.
- Fact Sheet
- Eligible Disciplines:
- Physician (MD/DO)
- Family Medicine
- Obstetrics/ Gynecology
- General Internal Medicine
- Geriatrics
- General
- Pediatrics
- General Psychiatry
- Physician Assistant (primary care)
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Nurse Practitioner (adult, family, pediatric)
- Psychiatric/Mental Health
- Geriatrics
- Women’s Health
- Certified Nurse-Midwife
- Psychiatric Nurse Specialist
- Dentistry (DDS, DMD)
- Dental Hygienist
- Mental and Behavioral Health
- Health Service Psychologist
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Licensed Professional Counselor
- Marriage and Family Therapist
- Physician Assistant
- Physician (MD/DO)
Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S)
Subscribe with HRSA to be notified when the NHSC Students to Service (S2S) application opens.
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S) is a program that provides loan repayment assistance 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 (HPSAs) of greatest need. The S2S LRP will provide funds to participants to repay their outstanding qualifying student loans while still completing health professions training.
If selected, you can receive $120,000 in loan repayment for committing to serve at an approved NHSC site full time for at least 3 years (or half time for at least 6 years) following the completion of a primary care residency. If your eligible student loan balance is less than $120,000, you can receive funding to pay off those loans.
- For more information, visit NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program.
- Fact Sheet
- Eligible Disciplines:
- Allopathic
- Osteopathic
- Doctor of Dental Surgery
- Or Doctor of Dental Medicine
- Physician (MD/DO)
- Family Medicine
- Obstetrics/ Gynecology
- General Internal Medicine
- Geriatrics
- General
- Pediatrics
- General Psychiatry
Faculty Loan Repayment Program (FLRP)
Subscribe with HRSA to be notified when the Faculty Loan Repayment Program application opens.
The Faculty Loan Repayment Program (FLRP) is administered by the Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This program is for Health Professions Faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds who may receive as much as $40,000 towards repayment of their student loans in exchange for educating tomorrow’s clinicians. Individuals selected to participate in the program agree to serve on the faculty of an accredited health professions college or university for 2 years. The Government pays up to $40,000 of the participant’s student loans and provides funds to offset the tax burden. Participants should also receive matching funds from their employing educational institution.
Eligible Disciplines include: Allopathic Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Podiatric Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Optometry, Nursing (RN or Advanced Practice RN), Public Health (graduate level), Physician Assistant, Behavioral and Mental Health graduate level (Clinical Psychology, Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, Professional Counseling), Allied Health Professions-baccalaureate or graduate degree programs (Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Technology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Speech Pathology, Audiology, Registered Dietitian).
- For more information, visit Faculty Loan Repayment Program.
- Fact Sheet
- Eligible Disciplines:
- Allopathic Medicine
- Osteopathic Medicine
- Podiatric Medicine
- Veterinary Medicine
- Dentistry
- Pharmacy
- Optometry
- Nursing (Registered Nurse (RN) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
- Public Health (graduate level only)
- Physician Assistant
- Behavioral and Mental Health (graduate level only):
- clinical psychology
- clinical social work,
- professional counseling
- marriage and family therapy
- Allied Health Professions:
- dental hygiene
- medical laboratory technology
- occupational therapy
- physical therapy
- radiology technology
- speech pathology
- respiratory therapy
- audiology
- registered dietitians (baccalaureate or graduate level).
National Health Service Corps Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program
Subscribe with HRSA to be notified when the NHSC SUD Workforce LRP application opens.
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program (SUD Workforce LRP) expands access to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment in underserved, high-need communities across the country. The program offers health care clinicians the opportunity to have their qualifying student loans repaid in exchange for serving at an NHSC-approved SUD site.
- For more information visit National Health Service Corps Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program
- Fact Sheet
- Eligible Disciplines
- Physicians
- Nurse practitioners
- Certified nurse midwives
- Physician assistants
- Behavioral health professionals
- Substance use disorder counselors
- Registered nurses
- Pharmacists
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program
Subscribe with HRSA to be notified when the NURSE Corps LRP application opens.
Loan repayment assistance is available to registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses, such as nurse practitioners, working in a public or private nonprofit Critical Shortage. NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program participants receive 60 percent of their total outstanding qualifying educational loan balance incurred while pursuing an education in nursing in exchange for a 2-year service commitment. Qualifying participants may receive an additional 25 percent of their original loan balance for the third year of service.
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- be a US Citizen, US national, or lawful permanent resident
- be a licensed registered nurse (nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses are encouraged to apply) or nurse faculty
- have completed your training (diploma, associate, baccalaureate or graduate)
- be employed full-time (at least 32 hours per week) at an eligible critical shortage facility.
Where Participants Serve: Public or private nonprofit Critical Shortage Facilities: Critical Access Hospital, Disproportionate Share Hospital, Public Hospital, Federally Qualified Health Center, Indian Health Service Health Center, Native Hawaiian Health Center, Rural Health Clinic, Skilled Nursing Facility, State or Local Public Health or Human Services Department, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Home Health Agency, Hospice Program, Non-Disproportionate Share Hospital, Nursing Home
The health care facilities listed above are Critical Shortage Facilities only if they are located in, designated as, or serving a primary medical care or mental health HPSA.
- For more information, visit Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program
- Fact Sheet
- Eligible Disciplines
- Registered Nurses
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APN)
Scholarship Programs
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program
Subscribe with HRSA to be notified when the NHSC Scholarship application opens.
The National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (SP) awards scholarships each year to students pursuing careers in primary care (funding is for a maximum of 4 years including tuition, required fees, reasonable educational costs and monthly support stipend). In return, students commit to serving for two to four years in an underserved Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) site upon graduation and completion of training.
- For more information, visit National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program.
- Fact Sheet
- Eligible Disciplines:
- Primary Care Physician (MD or DO)
- Dentist (DDS or DMD)
- Family Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
- Primary Care Physician Assistant (PA)
NURSE Corps Scholarship Program
Subscribe with HRSA to be notified when the NHSC Scholarship application opens.
The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program (SP) awards scholarships each year to students pursuing careers in primary care (funding is for a maximum of 4 years including tuition, required fees, reasonable educational costs and monthly support stipend). In return, students commit to serving for two to four years in an underserved Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) site upon graduation and completion of training.
- For more information, visit Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
- Fact Sheet
- Eligible Disciplines
- Students accepted or enrolled in a diploma, associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree nursing program
Schools for MD/DO Scholars Interested in Practicing Rurally
For additional opportunities for rural communities, physicians, and students interested in rural health, connect to one of the following schools:
- The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine has rural programs.
- NYIT Jonesboro is in the process of developing a rural track for students.
- Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Nursing Program Resources and Information
- Comparisons of each degree and how ADN and BSN grads can fast-track earning an MSN or DNP:
- Insights into nursing school affordability and the many types of funding available:
- Comprehensive guides to nursing specialities, including career opportunities, professional certifications, and a directory of academic programs:
