• Allopathic or osteopathic physicians specializing in family medicine, general pediatrics, general internal medicine, gerontology, general psychiatry or obstetrics/gynecology
• Primary care nurse practitioners
• Primary care physician associates/physician assistants
• Certified nurse-midwives 
• Dentists (D.M.D./D.D.S.)
• Expanded practice dental hygienists
• Licensed mental health or behavioral health professionals: clinical or counseling psychologists, clinical social workers, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists
• Psychiatric nurse specialists
• Registered nurses
• Pharmacists
• Certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC-III) (master's degree required)

Providers must be:

• A U.S. citizen at the time their SLRP application is submitted; and
• Contracted to begin working or already working at an approved practice site; and
• Providing primary care services in an outpatient ambulatory care setting

Practice sites must be:

• Nonprofit (public or private); and
• Located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA); and
• Providing outpatient, ambulatory, primary medical, mental and behaviora, and/or dental services; and
• Providing services on a free or reduced-fee schedule basis to individuals at or below 200% of the federal poverty level; and
• Approved by ORH to participate in the SLRP with a Site Application on file that is no more than one year old (from date the provider submits their SLRP application)

For questions regarding practice site eligibility contact the SLRP program coordinator.

Full-Time Providers

Full-time participants may receive up to 50% of their qualifying educational debt, with a maximum of $25,000 per year, for an initial two-year service commitment.

Full-time is defined as working at least 40 hours per week, including a minimum of 32 hours of direct patient care, for at least 45 weeks per year.

Part-Time Providers

Part-time participants may receive up to 25% of their qualifying educational debt, with a maximum of $12,500 per year, for an initial four-year service commitment.

Part-time is defined as working at least 20 hours per week, including a minimum of 16 hours of direct patient care at an approved practice site, for at least 45 weeks per year.

After completing their initial SLRP service obligation, providers may apply for a one-year continuation. Eligible providers can receive up to 60% of their remaining qualifying educational debt, with a maximum award of $25,000.

Following successful completion of the first continuation year, providers may apply for a second one-year continuation. If approved, they may again receive up to 60% of their remaining qualifying debt, with a maximum of $25,000 for the additional year of service.

To qualify for SLRP, providers must have enough eligible educational debt to receive a minimum award of $5,000 per obligation year. Providers with less than $5,000 in qualifying debt per year are not eligible for funding.

Over the course of an initial two-year award and up to two one-year continuations, the maximum total award a provider may receive is $100,000. Providers who reach this $100,000 cap are not eligible to reapply to the program.

Applications are accepted on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis. Incomplete applications will be returned and will not be reviewed until all required materials are submitted. Awards are issued until available program funds are fully allocated.

SLRP does not have a fixed application deadline. Once all funds have been awarded, this website will be updated and the application materials will be removed.

Before applying, please review the eligibility criteria for both providers and practice sites, as well as the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

Click here for the provider application.