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Indian Health Loan Repayment Programs

Your Career Advantage

The costs of a health professional education are high, but loan repayment gives you the freedom to pursue the future you’ve envisioned for yourself — a career with purpose and a sense of mission, treating patients who truly need you. It’s no wonder that health professionals consider the LRP to be one of the most significant benefits a career in Indian health has to offer.

Indian health dental professionals have a number of loan repayment program options through which they can receive financial support. The Indian Health Service (IHS) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) offer two such programs for dental professionals interested in a career in Indian health*.

* It is against federal policy to receive financial support concurrently from two federal programs requiring a service commitment. Examples include: IHS scholarship recipients, NHSC loan repayment recipients, etc.

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IHS Loan Repayment Program (LRP)

Many dentists and dental hygienists seek the financial freedom that comes with an IHS Loan Repayment Program (LRP) award. The LRP supports the mission of IHS while providing dedicated dental professionals with the financial support to pursue an Indian health career.

An LRP award provides up to $40,000 toward the repayment of qualified education loans. In exchange for this support, IHS LRP participants agree to a two-year service commitment at an Indian health facility identified as a site in need of dental professionals.

Visit IHS LRP to for more information on the program and how to apply for an award.

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NHSC Loan Repayment Program

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is a network of primary health care professionals, including licensed dental health providers, that delivers vital health care to historically underserved communities throughout the United States. The NHSC offers loan repayment to qualified health care professionals who are dedicated to practicing primary health care in medically underserved areas, which include all Indian health facilities.

Dentists may be eligible to receive an initial award of up to $50,000 for two years of full-time service when you select a service site with a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score of 14 or higher or up to $30,000 for sites with a score of 13 and below. Half-time service options are also available.

Visit NHSCExit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  for additional information.