The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is committed to making its websites and other electronic information resources (EIR) accessible to individuals with disabilities. If the format of this application interferes with your user assistive technology, please contact the St. David's Foundation Student Loan Repayment Program administrator at ruralhealth@texasagriculture.gov or call 512-936-1943 to request an alternative application format.

Application Instructions

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION 

Applications are due by the following date: 

August 14, 2024 at 5:00 PM CST 

**This application is for a service period of September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025**

The purpose of the St. David’s Foundation Public Health Corps Loan Repayment Program is to recruit and retain qualified primary care and behavioral health providers at eligible safety net sites located in the five-county area served by the Foundation. If you are selected for enrollment into the program, loan repayment funds will be reserved for annual disbursement at the end of each service obligation for no more than four years. Repayment is contingent upon continued available funding. We will email the appropriate documents at the end of each year of service for your employer’s verification of your service and for your lender’s verification of loan information.

 We will notify you by  e-mail regarding the disposition of your application.

 Eligibility Requirements: 

1. All providers must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident (or otherwise be legally authorized to work in the United States), practice an approved practice specialty, and agree to provide up to four years of service at an approved practice site (outpatient primary care or behavioral health facility) NOTE: Funding under this program is currently only provided for the first year of service. Provider will be released from this agreement if grant funding is not continued for subsequent years of service.
2. Physicians must have a current unrestricted license from the Texas Medical Board and be board certified or eligible to take the exam from an American Specialty Board that is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists.
3. Dentists must have an unrestricted license from the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
4. Physician Assistants must be certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) or be eligible to take the exam offered by the NCCPA and work under the direction of a physician in the area of primary care and/or behavioral health.
5. Nurse Practitioners must be licensed as a Nurse Practitioner in the area of primary care and/or behavioral health or be eligible to take the exam offered by a national certifying body recognized by the Texas Board of Nursing and work under the direction of a physician in the area of primary care and/or behavioral health.
6. Provide care within one or more of the following Texas counties: Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson.

 To be eligible for repayment, an education loan must:

• Be evidenced by a promissory note to pay for the cost of attendance for the provider’s undergraduate or graduate education at an accredited institution in the United States.  Loans made during residency are not eligible.  If the loan has been consolidated with other loans, the applicant must provide documentation of the portion of the consolidated debt that was originated to pay for the cost of attendance for the provider.
• Not have an existing service obligation and must not be subject to repayment through another student loan repayment or loan forgiveness program. This includes National Health Service Corps (NHSC), THECB, and any other loan repayment program. The only exception is PSLF, that is not applicable to this requirement.

Priority and Preference:

If the number of qualified applicants exceeds available funding, priority will be given to physicians and dentists. Preference will be given for:

• New hires and/or providers who completed training within the past 2 years
• Bilingual providers (with preference for languages of the underserved populations, such as Spanish and Vietnamese)
• Full Time employees will be given preference over Part Time

Service Period Requirement:

The provider must serve for at least 12 consecutive months at an approved practice site to qualify for an annual loan repayment award. A provider may receive an annual award for consecutive service for up to four years. While it is encouraged that providers stay in the program the duration of the four years, they may withdraw from the program at any time.  Four years is the maximum number of service obligations for which a provider may qualify for repayment. 

Annual Award Amounts:

If the loan balance is less than the applicable maximum annual award amount (as shown below) times 4, then the annual amounts will be prorated to retire the balance over a period of four years (contingent upon continued annual grant funding).  Awards will also be prorated to the extent the provider is only providing a part-time service. Otherwise, the maximum annual award amounts are as follows:

• Physicians: $30,000/year or $120,000/total 
• Dentists: $30,000/year or $120,000/total 
• Physician Assistants: $15,000/year or $60,000/total
• Nurse Practitioners: $15,000/year or $60,000/total

Important Additional Information: 

Regardless of whether an employee is part-time or full-time, an individual is only eligible to receive loan repayment for a total of four (4) years of service at a qualifying facility.  For a full-time employee, the total student loan amount for a recipient will be established (through documentation, i.e. statements, etc.) prior to the beginning of their service commitment and each of the four (4) loan repayment amounts will equal 25% of the total student loan amount or the maximum amount allowed by the program, whichever is less.  Part-time employees will have pro-rated repayment amounts.  Additionally:

• Once the repayment amounts have been calculated and established, those are the amounts to be paid and will not change unless there is a change in employment status (i.e. part-time to full-time and vice versa); and
• Outside of the loan repayment amounts, any additional loan balance and/or accrued interest is the sole responsibility of the recipient.

Section A: Applicant Information

Please enter your physical work address in the website linked below to get your HPSA ID number and Name. THE HPSA ID numer you will list is the HPSA ID number that pertains to you (the health professional) specialty (primary care, dental, or mental health). If you do not have one, then enter N/A. If you work for an FQHC, you would have one for the center. Please do not put N/A without checking the link first.

 Find my HPSA

Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Age and Income levels are for demographic reporting purposes only.

Please provide the following information for all student loans that were obtained for undergraduate, graduate, and/or medical education. Loans obtained during residency training or for post-medical school costs are ineligible. If you have a FedLoans loan, please also upload the "Loan Details" page. Make sure you provide an actual statement with a payment slip.

Section B: Employer Contact Information

Section C: Certification