Minnesota Advanced Practice Provider Loan Forgiveness Guidelines
Current cycle: The Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness program cycle is OPEN November 1, 2021. Download the Loan Forgiveness PIN
The purpose of Minnesota's Loan Forgiveness program is to recruit and retain health care professionals to needed areas and facilities in Minnesota. Loan forgiveness is an important benefit for health care professionals as well as health care facilities and communities experiencing a shortage of access to primary care services.
The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC), Minnesota Department of Health administers this program. It is funded by the State of Minnesota. Program eligibility requirements and benefits are established by state statute, 144.1501 authorizing the health professional education loan forgiveness program.
This program is offered to Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners who plan to practice or are practicing in a underserved urban community. A prospective participant must submit an application to ORHPC during the open application cycle.
The Urban Advanced Practice Provider Loan Forgiveness Program provides funds for repayment of Qualified Educational Loans. Qualified Educational Loans include government, commercial, and foundation loans for actual costs paid for tuition, reasonable education and living expenses related to the past graduate or undergraduate education of the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Credit card debt or loans from family members do not qualify. Parent PLUS loans do not qualify.
Loans in current or active default are NOT eligible for forgiveness in this program, even if considered in good standing with the collections agency. Previously defaulted loans that have since been completely rehabilitated and are not currently in active default status are eligible.
This is a competitive selection process. Selections are made based on suitability for practice as indicated by personal and professional experience and training noted on an application, as well as preference given to those closest to completing their training. Preference will be given to applicants who document diverse cultural competencies. The number of applicants ORHPC may seThis program gives preference to participants providing at least 25 percent of annual patient encounters to state public program enrollees or patients receiving a sliding fee schedule discounts through a formal sliding fee schedule meeting the standards established by United States Department of Health and Human Services under Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 51, chapter 303.lect for participation varies annually and is contingent upon state funding.
This program gives preference to participants providing at least 25 percent of annual patient encounters to state public program enrollees or patients receiving a sliding fee schedule discounts through a formal sliding fee schedule meeting the standards established by United States Department of Health and Human Services under Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 51, chapter 303.
Participants are required to practice for at least 30 hours per week, for at least 45 weeks per year, for a minimum of three years in a designated rural area. A designated rural area is defined by Minnesota statute 144.1501 as a statutory and home rule charter city or township that is (1) outside the seven–county metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2 excluding the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester and St. Cloud
Selected participants shall provide direct patient care hours/client–centered services. Hours cannot be fulfilled meeting with providers, process improvement, policy development, supervising, or administering programs.
Participants must begin their service obligation under this program no later than March 31 following completion of their training.
Participants are eligible to participate for up to four years of loan forgiveness during which they serve as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in an underserved urban community. ORHPC will make an annual payment to the participant in the amount of $14,000, not to exceed $56,000 total for the maximum four–year period or the balance of the designated loan(s), whichever is less and subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature for the loan forgiveness program.