2026 Guide
Healthcare loan-repayment programs for Black clinicians.
Every federal and state program with real 2026 numbers and primary-source citations. Use the calculator to see what you may qualify for, then explore the program and state pages for the application details.
Calculator
What may you qualify for?
Tell us your federal debt, profession, intended employer type, and how many years you're open to committing. The match logic mirrors published eligibility rules for each program. Results are estimates, always confirm with the agency.
Compare
The nine programs side by side.
Award size alone will mislead you. Some of these are federally tax-exempt and some are taxed as income, so a smaller exempt award can be worth more than a larger taxable one. Every figure below is from the program's own primary source, last verified May 2026.
| Program | Max award | Service | Taxed? | Shortage-area requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSLF | No cap | 10 yr | Tax-exempt | None |
| NHSC LRP | $85,000 | 2 yr | Tax-exempt | Primary medical care HPSA score ≥21 for physicians and NPs; ≥19 for PAs and CNMs. Mental health… |
| NHSC SUD LRP | $80,000 | 3 yr | Tax-exempt | Not required. The NHSC-approved SUD facility designation is the qualifying criterion. Award pre… |
| NHSC Rural LRP | $105,000 | 3 yr | Tax-exempt | Site must be NHSC-approved SUD facility AND rural per the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy… |
| NHSC S2S | $160,000 | 3 yr | Tax-exempt | Service site must be an NHSC-approved facility in a designated HPSA. |
| NURSE Corps LRP | No cap | 2 yr | Tax-exempt | Critical Shortage Facility stream: facility must be designated as or located in/serving an HPSA… |
| IHS LRP | $50,000 | 2 yr | Taxable | Sites are scored on an IHS-specific shortage scale (0–25 for primary care and mental health; 0–… |
| FLRP | $40,000 | 2 yr | Taxable | None |
| PS LRP | $100,000 | 3 yr | Taxable | Facility must be in an HPSA, a Medically Underserved Area (MUA), or serve a Medically Underserv… |
“No cap” means the program does not set a dollar ceiling, not that every balance is forgiven. Read the program page for the conditions.
Eligibility
Which programs take your licence.
Read across your row. Check means the program describes a category such as “behavioral and mental health” without naming your licence, so confirm with them before you plan around it. We would rather say we do not know than guess about a two-year commitment.
| Your licence | PSLF | NHSC LRP | NHSC SUD LRP | NHSC Rural LRP | NHSC S2S | NURSE Corps LRP | IHS LRP | FLRP | PS LRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physician (MD, DO) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nurse practitioner (NP) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Check | Check |
| Physician assistant (PA) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Check | Check |
| Nurse-midwife (CNM) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Check | Check | No |
| Registered nurse (RN) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Check | Check |
| Dentist (DDS, DMD) | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Check | No |
| Dental hygienist (RDH) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Check | Check | No |
| Pharmacist | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Check | No |
| Psychologist | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Check | Yes |
| Clinical social worker (LCSW) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Check | Check |
| Licensed counsellor (LPC) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Check | Check | Check |
| Marriage and family therapist (LMFT/MFT) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Check | Check | Check |
| Psychiatrist | Yes | Check | Yes | Yes | No | No | Check | Check | Yes |
| SUD counsellor | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Check | Check | Check |
PSLF takes every discipline because it qualifies you on your employer, not your job title. The Pediatric Specialty LRP is limited to clinicians serving children, and the Faculty LRP to people teaching in a health professions school, whatever their licence.
Federal programs
Nine federal loan-repayment paths to know.
PSLF is the foundation. NHSC and IHS pay lump-sum awards on top of it. NURSE Corps and the Faculty and Pediatric Specialty LRPs cover niches that the big programs miss. Click any card for the full eligibility rules, application cycle, and primary source.
PSLF
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Forgives 100 percent of your remaining federal Direct Loan balance after 120 qualifying monthly payments (10 years) while working full-time for a government or 501(c)(3) nonprofit employer. The foundation program every other loan-repayment award stacks on top of.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
NHSC LRP
NHSC Loan Repayment Program
Up to $80,000 over 2 years for primary care clinicians serving at approved sites in Health Professional Shortage Areas. Awards are federally tax-exempt. The most-used program for clinicians who want lump-sum repayment in addition to PSLF.
HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce, National Health Service Corps
NHSC SUD LRP
NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program
Up to $75,000 over 3 years for clinicians treating substance use disorder at NHSC-approved SUD facilities. Lower HPSA bar than the standard NHSC LRP because the qualifying site type is the SUD designation itself, not the geographic shortage score.
HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce, National Health Service Corps
NHSC Rural LRP
NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program
Up to $105,000 over 3 years for SUD clinicians at NHSC-approved rural SUD treatment facilities. Highest-dollar NHSC program but the most restrictive eligibility: site must be both NHSC-approved SUD and rural.
HRSA/NHSC with Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
NHSC S2S
NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program
Up to $120,000 lifetime for final-year health professions students who commit to 3 years at an NHSC-approved HPSA site after training. The right program if you are graduating in 2026 and know where you want to land. The Maternity Care Target Area supplement can add $40,000.
HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce, National Health Service Corps
NURSE Corps LRP
NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program
Repays up to 85 percent of unpaid nursing education debt for RNs, APRNs, and nurse faculty at Critical Shortage Facilities or accredited schools of nursing. Federally tax-exempt. The NURSE Corps is the nursing-track equivalent of NHSC.
HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce
IHS LRP
Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
Up to $50,000 per 2-year contract, renewable annually until your qualified debt is repaid. Eligible for the broadest set of health professions of any federal program. Note: IHS LRP awards are TAXABLE and a 24 percent federal tax is withheld at disbursement.
Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
FLRP
HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program
Up to $40,000 of federal loan repayment over 2 years for faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds teaching at eligible health professions schools, including HBCU and other minority-serving institutions. The school must provide a matching contribution. Award is taxable.
HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce
PS LRP
HRSA Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program
Up to $100,000 (less federal tax withholding) over 3 years for pediatric medical or surgical subspecialists, or child and adolescent behavioral-health providers, at approved facilities serving underserved populations. Note: taxable, unlike NHSC.
HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce
State pages
State-by-state programs.
In addition to the federal pool, most states fund their own loan-repayment programs for clinicians who serve underserved populations. Each state page covers the state-specific awards, the Conrad 30 J-1 waiver mechanics, and which federal programs apply locally.
New York
4 state programs
California
3 state programs
Texas
2 state programs
Florida
1 state program
Georgia
2 state programs
Illinois
1 state program
Ohio
2 state programs
Pennsylvania
1 state program
North Carolina
2 state programs
Michigan
2 state programs
Don't see your state yet? More states ship in the next wave. In the meantime, the federal program pages above cover programs that run in every state.
Next step
Want us to match you with a qualifying employer?
Upload your resume. A member of our team reviews every profile and introduces you only when there's a real match at an employer that qualifies you for the program you're targeting. Free, private, and you decide whether to be introduced.
Common questions
- Are loan-repayment awards taxable?
- NHSC and NURSE Corps awards are federally tax-exempt under IRC §108(f)(4). IHS LRP and the HRSA Faculty and Pediatric Specialty LRP are taxable. PSLF forgiveness is not federally taxable. State tax treatment varies.
- Can NHSC and PSLF stack?
- Yes. Time spent serving at a qualifying NHSC site (typically a 501(c)(3) FQHC, IHS site, or government facility) can count toward both your NHSC service term and your 120 PSLF qualifying payments at the same time.
- Which Black healthcare professionals qualify?
- Eligibility depends on the program. PSLF is open to any profession. NHSC covers physicians, NPs, PAs, dentists, and behavioral health providers. NURSE Corps covers RNs, APRNs, and nurse faculty. IHS LRP covers a broader set of allied health professions. See each program's detail page for the full eligible-discipline list.