Overview

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is a Federal government program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Workforce.

Through scholarships and loan repayment programs, the NHSC offers financial and other support to primary care providers in underserved communities. NHSC providers, in turn, commit to serving for at least two years at an NHSC-approved site located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Many choose to continue serving at their sites beyond the initial NHSC service commitment.

Eligible Health Professions

Medical Providers

• Specialties: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Geriatrics, Mental Health
• Allopathic and Osteopathic Physicians (MD, DO)
• Nurse Practitioners (NP)
• Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM)
• Physician Assistants (PA)

Dental Providers

• Specialties: Family-General, Pediatric, Geriatric
• Doctors of Dental Surgery (DDS)
• Doctors of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD)
• Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH)

Mental and Behavioral Health Providers

• Health Service Psychologists (HSP)
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
• Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC)
• Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT)
• Psychiatric Nurse Specialists (PNS)

Eligible Practice Sites

Health care providers must be employed by an NHSC-approved service site.

View a List of Approved National Health Service Corps Sites in Kansas (PDF).

NHSC-approved sites are health care facilities that provide outpatient, ambulatory, primary health services in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), which are communities with limited access to care. Sites (with the exception of Federally Qualified Health Centers, Health Center Program Look Alikes, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bureau of Prison and Indian Health Service sites) must apply to become an NHSC site.

To become an NHSC-approved site, entities must submit a NHSC Site Application which is reviewed and approved by the regional NHSC Offices. There are set application periods for entities to apply and recertify to become approved practice sites, typically occurring the second and third quarters of each calendar year. To qualify, the entity must meet all of the requirements of the NHSC Site Agreement found on page 29 of the NHSC Site Reference Guide (PDF).

NHSC Site Application Cycle

View the NHSC New Site Application.

NHSC Award Selection Process

Applications for new awards for the different NHSC programs are accepted annually during a pre-determined open application period. Applications must be fully complete with all required documentation submitted to the Health Services and Resources Administration.

The level of funding an awardee receives depends on the site’s HPSA score and whether the awardee chooses to work full-time or half-time. Priority consideration is given to eligible applicants whose NHSC-approved site has a HPSA score of 26 to 14, in descending order. Eligible applicants may receive up to $50,000 in loan repayment for an initial service commitment until funding is exhausted.

2021 Key Program Dates

2021 NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Application Cycle is now open. Read the 2021 Application and Program Guidance (PDF) carefully before starting your application.

Resources

NHSC Program Resources

Information for Practice Sites

Program Guides & Toolkits