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SECTION I.
APPLICANT INFORMATION BULLETIN
INTRODUCTION
Program
Purpose
The
United States Congress has charged the NHSC (administered
by the Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS)
with the responsibility for alleviating the geographic maldistribution
of primary care physicians and other health practitioners
in the United States.
The NHSC
Scholarship Program is mandated by Congress to supply the
NHSC with health care professionals trained in those disciplines
and specialties most needed to deliver quality primary health
care services in health professional shortage areas (HPSAs)
throughout the United States as designated by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
The NHSC
Scholarship Program is not a general financial assistance
program for students of health-related disciplines; rather,
it provides the NHSC with the committed health professionals
it needs to carry out its mission of providing primary health
care to populations in areas of greatest need in health professional
shortage areas (HPSA).
National
Health Service Corps Scholarship Program Profile
The
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program is
a competitive Federal program that awards scholarships to
students pursuing primary care health professions training
in return for a service commitment.
The scholarship
consists of payment for tuition, fees, other reasonable educational
costs, and a monthly support stipend. In return, the students
agree to provide one (1) year of service in the HPSA of greatest
need to which they are assigned for each school year or partial
school year of scholarship support received, with a minimum
2-year service commitment and a maximum 4-year commitment.
For the
2008-2009 academic year, scholarships will be available for
students pursuing primary health care training leading to
a degree in allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, or
dentistry, and education leading to a degree as a family nurse
practitioner, nurse-midwife or physician assistant.
The scholarship
recipient's NHSC service commitment will be fulfilled as a
non-Federal employee, as a commissioned officer of the Regular
or Reserve Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS),
or as a civilian employee of the U.S. Government.
It should be noted that approximately 92% of scholars fulfill
their commitments as non-Federal employees of public or private
entities such as community and migrant health centers, State
or local health departments, and other non-Federal entities.
The remaining 8% of scholars serve as Federal employees at
HPSA sites served by the Indian Health Service, the Department
of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons, or the Department
of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Students
uncertain of a commitment to primary health care practice
in HPSAs throughout the United States or who are unable to
relocate based on the needs of the NHSC are not advised
to participate in this program. Students (e.g., osteopathic
and nurse practitioners) unsure about their future specialty
interests are not advised to apply for the NHSC scholarship.
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NHSC scholarship recipients
are required to fulfill their NHSC service
commitment at HPSA locations approved by the Bureau
of Clinician Recruitment and Service anywhere in the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth
of the Northern Marianas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the
Territory of American Samoa, the Republic of Palau,
the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated
States of Micronesia.
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Health
Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
A
HPSA is a geographic area, a facility, or a population group,
which has been determined by the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to have a shortage of health professionals. HPSAs
are identified on the basis of agency or individual requests
for designation. Information considered when designating
a primary care HPSA includes health practitioner-to-population
ratios, rates of poverty, and access to available primary
health services. Service commitments to the NHSC may be
satisfied only in those HPSAs with the greatest need
at the time of service assignment, as determined by the Bureau
of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS).
Program
Administration
The
Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS), Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), administers
the NHSC Scholarship Program. The Division of Application
and Awards (DAA) awards the scholarships. The Division of
Scholar and Clinician Support (DSCS) monitors scholars while
in school and in deferment for advanced training, assists
scholars in securing employment at eligible service sites
at the completion of their training, reviews and approves
requests for service transfers, and monitors scholars' service
until they have completed their service commitment.
In addition, the Division of Site and Clinician Recruitment
(DSCR) identifies appropriate service sites. The Legal and
Compliance Office (LCO) reviews scholar and clinician compliance
referrals, handles default determinations, and reviews requests
for suspensions and waivers.
APPLICANT
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants
must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible
for scholarship awards.
U.S.
Citizenship
Applicants
for the NHSC SP must be citizens of the United States (either
U.S. born or naturalized) or U.S. nationals. Nationals
are individuals who owe permanent allegiance to the U.S.
and were born in certain outlying possessions of the U.S.
(e.g., American Samoa and
Swains Island)
on or after the date of formal acquisition of such possession
by the U.S. All applicants must submit documentation
to verify U.S. citizenship or status as a U.S. national
(e.g., a copy of a birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship,
passport or naturalization certificate) with the application
material. Permanent residents of the U.S. are not
eligible to apply.
Full-time
Enrollment in Fully Accredited Schools and Programs
To
be considered for a scholarship award for the 2008-2009
academic year, applicants must be enrolled or accepted for
enrollment as full-time students, and begin classes on or
before September 30, 2008. Individuals planning to
be on a leave of absence from school such that they will
not begin class attendance on or before September 30, 2008,
should not submit an application this year, but may
apply next year. Please be advised that any non-required
or unrelated courses will not count toward the schools'
required hours in determining full-time status.
The
NHSC Scholarship Program considers the schools and programs
to be fully accredited if students/graduates are eligible
to take the national certification/licensure examinations
(as set forth below in this section and in the "Licensure/Certification
Required" section of this Bulletin which lead to
licensure in the profession for which the applicant is applying
for scholarship support. The following is a listing
of acceptable schools/programs:
-
A school of allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine,
pursuing the M.D. or D.O. degree, accredited by the Liaison
Committee on Medical Education (sponsored by the American
Medical Association and the Association of American Medical
Colleges) or the American Osteopathic Association, Commission
on Osteopathic College Accreditation.
- A school
of dentistry, pursuing the D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree,
accredited by the American Dental Association, Commission
on Dental Accreditation.
- A school
or program of family nurse practitioner (FNP)
education pursuing a master's degree, or post-master's
certificate, accredited by the National League for Nursing
Accrediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing
Education, and leading to national certification as a family
nurse practitioner by either the American Nurses Credentialing
Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
- A school
or program of nurse-midwifery (NM) education pursuing
a master's degree, or post-master's certificate, accredited
by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of Accreditation
and leading to national certification by the American Midwifery
Certification Board.
NURSING STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE: The NHSC
Scholarship Program will not provide scholarship support
for students who are enrolled in a nursing Bridge Program
(e.g. RN-MSN, BSN-MSN, Direct Entry, Graduate Entry Pre-specialty
or Entry to Practice Programs) or who are pursuing a doctoral
degree in nursing.
- A school
or program of primary care physician assistant (PA)
education where the applicant will: 1) graduate from
a full 4-year baccalaureate PA training program with a bachelor's
degree; or 2) graduate from a certificate, post-baccalaureate
certificate, associate or master's degree PA training program
of at least 12 months, and demonstrate a broad background
knowledge of the medical environment, practices, and procedures,
e.g., as would be acquired by having, prior to enrollment
in the PA training program, a) a bachelor's degree in a
health care occupation such as nursing, medical technology,
or physical therapy, or
b) 3 years of responsible and progressive health care experience
as a medical corpsman, nursing assistant or medical technician.
Physician Assistant applicants pursuing an associate,
master's degree, or certificate but who do not have a bachelor's
degree in nursing, medical technology or physical therapy
must submit by July 11, 2008, a resume outlining related
health care education and work experience (including periods
of employment and number of hours worked per week).
The PA
training program must be accredited by the Accreditation
Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant
and the affiliated school must be accredited by a U.S. Department
of Education nationally recognized regional or State institutional
accrediting agency. The PA training program must lead
to national certification by the National Commission on
Certification of Physician Assistants.
PLEASE NOTE: Students in the "pre-professional"
phase (e.g., taking undergraduate course work as a prerequisite
for admission to the PA training program) or in PA programs
specializing in areas other than primary care (e.g., PA
programs with a surgical or emergency room focus) ARE NOT
eligible for NHSC scholarship funding.
ALL
STUDENTS -- PLEASE NOTE: The NHSC Scholarship Program WILL
NOT provide scholarship support for any joint programs that
provide dual degrees in the above-listed disciplines (e.g.,
a joint program leading to a dual FNP/CNM degree, etc).
ALL
STUDENTS -- PLEASE NOTE: Scholarship recipient are required
to serve areas of greatest need throughout the country.
Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that his or her
professional program and type of degree will lead to broad
eligibility for licensure in multiple States.
Schools
and Programs Must be Located in the U.S.
The
schools and educational programs for which scholarship support
is requested must be in a State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Students attending schools outside of these geographic
areas are not eligible for NHSC scholarships, even though
they may be citizens of the United States.
Eligibility
for Federal Employment
Most
NHSC Scholarship Program recipients should expect to serve
their commitments as salaried non-Federal employees of public
or private entities approved by the BCRS. However, there
may be vacancies which require Federal employment including
a security clearance. In view of the potential for Federal
employment, an applicant must be eligible to hold an appointment
as a commissioned officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps
of the PHS or be eligible for a Federal civil service appointment.
Submission
of Authorization to Release Information Form
To
be eligible for an NHSC scholarship award, the applicant
must complete, sign and return to the BCRS the Authorization
to Release Information Form. A completed and signed Authorization
to Release Information Form is necessary for the NHSC Scholarship
Program to receive enrollment information from the applicant's
school and, if applicable, post-degree advanced training
program, and to confirm that you are not currently excluded
(suspended or debarred) or disqualified by an Federal
agency from participating in covered transactions.
Submission
of Signed Contract
To
be eligible for an NHSC scholarship, the statute requires
that an applicant sign and submit a contract. The
contract is located at end of this Bulletin.
The
contract is for the 2008-2009 school year with contract
extensions for up to 3 subsequent school years, not to exceed
a total of 4 school years of NHSC scholarship support.
The 2008-2009 contract, if countersigned by the Secretary
or designee, obligates the applicant to the minimum 2-year
service commitment. Therefore, applicants are strongly
encouraged to sign the 2008-2009 contract and contract extensions
for the 2009-2010 school year, if the applicant will need
additional support for all or part of the subsequent school
year (2009-2010). The contract(s) must be signed
through the student's date of graduation in order for the
student to receive support through the date of graduation.
Before an applicant decides not to request scholarship
support through his/her graduation date, the applicant should
read the Continuing Support after the
2008-2009 School Year section of this Bulletin.
Exclusion
or Disqualification from Covered Transactions
The
receipt of funding under the NHSC Scholarship Program is
a "covered transaction"pursuant to Title 2 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 180, as adopted
by HHS pursuant to 2 CFR Part 376. Before entering
into a scholarship contract, the applicant is required,
under Subpart C of Part 180, to report certain information,
which is described in the "Certification Regarding
Debarment, Suspension, Disqualification and Related Matters."
The applicant should sign the Certification that is applicable
to his/her situation.
Individuals
who are currently excluded (suspended or debarred) or disqualified
by any Federal agency from participating in covered transactions
are ineligible to receive an award under the NHSC Scholarship
Program. Individuals with reportable problems other
than exclusion or disqualification may, or may not, be selected
to participate in the NHSC Scholarship Program, based on
the Program's consideration and evaluation of the applicant's
circumstances.
As a
condition of participating in the NHSC Scholarship Program,
a participant must agree to comply with the requirements
of Subpart C of Part 180, which include providing immediate
written notice to BCRS if the applicant learns that he/she
failed to make a required disclosure or that a disclosure
is now required due to changed circumstances.
Free
of Federal Judgment Liens
Applicants
who have a court judgment entered against them for a debt
owed to the United States which creates a lien against their
property are precluded from receiving Federal funds (including
an NHSC Scholarship Program award), until the judgment lien
has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied. The
Application for Participation includes a certification that
the applicant is free of such a judgment lien against his/her
property. A State court judgment relating to
a Federal debt will also disqualify an applicant.
Delinquency
on a Federal Debt
The
application includes a certification that the applicant
is not delinquent on repayment of any Federal debt. Federal
debt includes debts arising from Federal taxes, Federal
loans, federally guaranteed or insured loans such as student
or home mortgage loans, an overpayment of Federal benefits
and any other debt owed to the Federal Government.
An applicant is considered to be delinquent on a Federal
debt if he or she has ever been more than 31 days past
due on a scheduled payment. In addition, applicants
that are delinquent on a service obligation and/or Federal
debt will not be selected for scholarships regardless of
circumstances.
No
Conflicting Service Commitments
Applicants
who are already obligated to a Federal, State, or other
entity for professional practice or service after academic
training are not eligible for NHSC scholarship awards.
An exception may be made if the obligating entity provides
documentation that there is no potential conflict in fulfilling
the service commitment to the NHSC Scholarship Program and
that the NHSC Scholarship Program service commitment will
be served first.
A
scholarship recipient who meets the above exception should
not expect to be assigned for service in a State, community,
or medical facility to which the recipient already owes
a commitment for service. The national staffing needs
of the NHSC preclude any such advance placement commitments
to NHSC Scholarship Program recipients.
Scholarship
recipients, except military reservists, who subsequently
enter other service commitments, or who otherwise are not
immediately available after completion of their degrees
or authorized deferments to fulfill their scholarship service
commitments, will be subject to the breach-of-contract provisions
described later in this Bulletin.
Members
of a Reserve Component of the Armed Forces
Individuals
in the Reserve component of the Armed Forces or National
Guard are eligible to participate in the NHSC Scholarship
Program. However, reservists should understand the
following:
First,
the placement opportunities for reservists may be more
limited, in order to minimize the negative impact that
a deployment would have on continuity of patient care
for the vulnerable populations served by the NHSC.
For example, placement of a reservist as the sole provider
at a clinic, that would be forced to close if the reservist
were deployed, would not be approved.
Second,
military training or service performed by reservists will
not satisfy the NHSC service commitment. If a participant's
military training and/or service, in combination with
the participant's other absences from the NHSC service
site, exceeds 7 weeks (49 calendar days) per service year,
the NHSC service commitment end date will be extended
to compensate for the break in service. See discussion
of Full-Time Clinical Practice
located under the "Fulfilling the
Service Commitment" section of this Bulletin.
Third,
if the site where the reservist was serving at the time
of his/her deployment is unable to re-employ that reservist,
the participant will be reassigned to another service
site to complete his/her remaining NHSC service commitment.
In some cases, a participant may be asked to sign an employment
contract that extends beyond the completion date of his/her
NHSC service commitment.
SUBMITTING
THE APPLICATION
In order
to be eligible for an NHSC scholarship award, the following
documentation must be received by BCRS, on or before
July 11, 2008:
-
Application.
Please be advised, beginning this year, all applications
must be completed and submitted on-line July 11, 2008.
The Assurances, Certification, and the entire on-line
application must be printed, signed and submitted with
a hard copy of all the supporting documents and be
received in the BCRS by July 11, 2008. Any applicant
that fails to submit a complete application
by the deadline will be considered non-responsive and
will not be considered for funding under this announcement.
- Supporting
Documentation. All supporting documents must be
submitted via hard copy and received by the July 11, 2008
deadline. Supporting documentation includes, but is
not limited to, the following items:
- Verification
of Acceptance/Verification of Good Standing (discussed
below)
- Authorization
to Release Information Letter (discussed below)
- Essay
Questions (discussed below)
- Transcript
(discussed below)
- Dean/Faculty
Advisor Evaluation Letter (discussed below)
- Standard
Form 1199A (EG) Direct Deposit Sign Up Form
-
A Signed and Dated Contract
The
Associate Administrator, BCRS or his/her designee
may authorize an extension of published deadlines when justified
by circumstances such as acts of nature (e.g., floods or
hurricanes), widespread disruptions of mail service, or
other disruptions, such as a prolonged blackout. The
authorizing official will determine the affected geographical
area(s) and the length of the extension granted.
Verification
of Acceptance/Verification of Good Standing
No
applicant will receive an award until he or she is enrolled
or accepted for full-time enrollment in a fully accredited
program during the 2008-2009 school year (applicant must
begin classes by September 30, 2008). Within the established
deadline set forth above, each applicant is required to
submit a report from the program verifying his or her acceptance
or good standing. Applicants are required to use the
Verification of Acceptance Report or the
Verification of Good Standing Report included
in the forms packet downloaded from the on-line application.
The verification reports must bear the training institution's
raised seal or stamp. FAXES OR PHOTOCOPIES
ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Applicants
who have not been accepted for enrollment at the time of submitting
the application must indicate on the application only one
school or program they anticipate attending, and the Verification
of Acceptance Report must be received by July 11, 2008.
ONCE THE APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS PASSED, NO CHANGES
WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THE APPLICANT'S CHOICE OF SCHOOL OR DISCIPLINE
PRIOR TO AWARD. The school identified in the
Verification of Acceptance/Verification of Good Standing Report
submitted by the July 11, 2008 deadline will be the
applicant's "initial school of record."
If the
Verification of Acceptance/Verification of Good Standing Report
states that there are conditions (not yet fulfilled) for acceptance
into the school and/or program, other than standard contingencies
that apply to all admitted applicants, applicants will not
be eligible for consideration for an award for the 2008-2009
school year, unless all contingencies or conditions for acceptance
are removed and documented in writing by the school and received
by BCRS on or before July 11, 2008.
Essay
Questions -- New Requirement
Applicants
will be required to respond to the following five essay-style
questions:
- Why
do you want to be a National Health Service Corps Scholar
- When
did you realize you wanted to serve underserved populations
and how did you arrive at this decision?
- What
experiences have you had or activities have you participated
in that have prepared you for working with underserved populations?
- If you
were selected, how do you envision your service as a provider/employee
at a health clinic in a medically underserved community?
- What
are your long-term professional plans after fulfilling your
scholarship service obligations?
Each response
should be limited to 2,500 characters or less (approximately
one-half typed page). We recommend that you use a standard
word processing tool (e.g., Word, Word Perfect, etc.) to create
the response to the questions. Most word processing tools
provide you with the character count in addition to providing
spelling and grammar checking.
Transcript
-- New Requirement
Each
applicant must include an official transcript from his/her
last complete year of academic training. If the applicant
is currently enrolled in the program that he/she is seeking
a scholarship for, a transcript must be provided that includes
the last complete semester or term.
Dean/Faculty
Advisor Evaluation Letter - New Requirement
Applicants
are required to submit one Dean/Faculty Advisor Evaluation
Letter. If the applicant is currently enrolled in the
health professions training program, then the letter should
be from the Dean of that academic program. If the applicant
has not begun the training associated with the scholarship,
the letter should be from the Dean or academic advisor of
the applicant's most recent academic program. The letter
should be based on the Dean/academic advisor's observations
or knowledge of your education/work achievement, relationships
with other people, and your overall potential for the practice
of primary health care, especially in a health professions
shortage area. Included with the Supplemental Forms,
is a sample letter which you may want to provide to the Dean
or academic advisor for their use in responding to this requirement.
The letter should be on the institution's letterhead, included
with the other supporting documents and must be submitted
in a sealed envelope with the evaluator's signature across
the seal.
Students
Must Use the Current Application Packet
Students
who have submitted applications to the NHSC Scholarship Program
in past years, and who did not receive or accept an award,
must complete a new application and compete with all other
applicants. Prior year applications will not be considered.
SELECTION
CRITERIA AND FUNDING PRIORITIES
The
NHSC Scholarship Program for the 2008-2009 school year is
very competitive; the Program anticipates more applicants
for scholarship awards than available funds. Due to
the competitiveness of the NHSC Scholarship Program, students
are advised to apply for other funding sources.
This
section describes the factors that will be considered in
approving applications for participation in the NHSC Scholarship
Program.
Selection
Criteria
The
NHSC Scholarship Program will consider well-prepared applicants
who demonstrate a commitment to serve, geographic flexibility,and
a strong interest in providing primary health care to the
underserved populations nationally, based on information
provided in the application. Please remember that
all applicants who demonstrate a high potential for providing
quality primary health care may not receive a scholarship
award due to limited funding.
Applicants
who do not demonstrate a high potential for providing primary
health care in designated shortage areas will not be selected
for a scholarship award.
Funding
Priorities for the 2008-2009 Academic Year
Applications that demonstrate the individuals' high
potential for providing primary health care services in
federally designated health professional shortage areas
will be competitively evaluated. The following statutory
priorities for funding will be applied:
FIRST
PRIORITY
-
Former
NHSC Scholarship Program Recipients
Former
NHSC Scholarship Program recipients who are seeking support
for the 2008-2009 academic year, or through their date
of graduation;
- Recipients
of Federal Scholarship Program for Students of Exceptional
Financial Need (EFN) (Medical Students Only)
Applicants
who have received a Scholarship for Students of Exceptional
Financial Need under former section 758 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294z) qualify for a funding priority.
Applicants claiming EFN status must submit (to be received
by July 11, 2008) written documentation from their
school's financial aid official of former participation
in the EFN Program.
SECOND
PRIORITY
Applicants
from Disadvantaged Backgrounds who have HPSA Retention
Characteristics
Applicants
who wish to claim "disadvantaged backgrounds" should submit
with their applications a written statement from the student
financial aid administrator certifying their participation
in, or eligibility for participation in a, qualifying Federal
program. For example:
-
For
Medical and Dental Students: Applicants' schools must
certify that the applicants participated in, or would
have been eligible for participation in, Federal programs
such as Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, and Loans
to Disadvantaged Students.
- For
Family Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwifery, and Physician
Assistant Students: Their schools must certify that
the applicants participated in, or would have been eligible
for participation in, Federal programs such as "Scholarships
for Disadvantaged Students" or the benefits of the
"Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant Program."
For
information about programs for disadvantaged students, visit
the Web site.
The
documentation of "disadvantaged background" must
be received by the July 11, 2008,deadline.
Notification
of Selection/Acceptance of Award
Individuals
selected for awards will be notified by email, as early as
August 2008. To accept the award, the selectees
must respond by the deadline in the notice of award email.
If you do not respond to the NHSC Scholarship Program by the
deadline date in the notice of award email, the offer of award
expires and the award will be offered to an alternate.
Individuals
selected for an award must attend full-time classes during
the 2008-2009 school year and class attendance must begin
on or before September 30, 2008. Individuals whose
class attendance during the 2008-2009 school year will begin
after September 30, 2008, MUST decline the award, but may
reapply next year. Please note that the ranking
of selectees will not be disclosed.
Notification
of Alternate Status
Individuals
selected as alternates will be notified by email, as early
as September 2008. Alternates will be notified of selection
for an award as selectees decline their awards. Please
note that the ranking of alternates will not
be disclosed.
Notification
of Non-Selection
Individuals
whose application did not fall within the competitive range
to be considered as an NHSC scholarship selectee or alternate
will be notified no later than October 2008.
New Scholars'
Conference
Individuals
awarded a NHSC scholarship will be expected to attend the
"Enhancing Your Scholarship Today: Maximizing Your Service
Tomorrow" Conference planned for Fall 2008 (specific
date and location to be determined).
Declining
Scholarship Support
Selectees
who will not begin classes on or before September 30, 2008,
including selectees who will be on a leave of absence from
school through September 30, 2008, must decline the
award. All other selectees may decline awards.
The declination of an award is without penalty, and permits
the promotion of alternates to selectee status. An
award can be declined by mailing or faxing a signed letter
declining the award offer, with the reason for declination,
to the NHSC Scholarship Program by the deadline date specified
in the notice of award letter. Telephone declinations
will not be accepted.
Once
a selectee declines the offer of award, the award will be
offered to an alternate. There will be no opportunity
to reclaim the award. A decision to decline the
scholarship award is final and cannot be changed
under any circumstances.
SCHOLARSHIP
BENEFITS
New
NHSC Scholarship Program contract awards, including new
contracts for previous NHSC scholars, depend on the availability
of appropriated funds and a determination that funding is
in the best interest of the Federal Government.
Awards
Limited to 4 School Years
Scholarship
awards will be granted for no more than 4 school years,
which includes any partial school year of funding received
during the school year. All awards to students (including
students in Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery,
and Physician Assistant Programs) are based on a 1-year,
or 12-month period. The school year is defined as July 1
through the following June 30 during which an applicant
is enrolled in a school as a full-time student. Students
may not receive full funding for each
school year of their program, to the extent their course
work does not coincide with the NHSC Scholarship Program's
definition of school year.
Commencement
and End of Scholarship Support
Participation
in the NHSC Scholarship Program becomes effective when the
initial contract(s) (submitted with the application) has
been signed by both the applicant and the Secretary
of Health and Human Services or his/her designee.
New
applicants must be able to financially support themselves
until the first week of November. The first scholarship
stipend payments should be made by the 7th of
November.
The
end of the scholarship support will be the date that the
scholar completes the required classes for graduation or
June 30 (the last day of the school year for which the scholar
has an executed contract), whichever comes first.
The NHSC Scholarship Program cannot make payments
to scholars when they are not enrolled or attending classes
on a full-time basis.
Distance
Learning Programs
Individuals
who are participating in distance learning programs are
advised that they may not receive full funding
for each year of their program, to the extent that their
course work does not coincide with the NHSC Scholarship
Program's definition of school year (running from July 1
through June 30). Also, the NHSC Scholarship Program
will not pay for any penalty or additional distance
learning fees that are incurred for not completing the course
load in the required time frame.
Payment
of Tuition and Required Fees
The
NHSC Scholarship Program will pay tuition and required fees
directly to the school. All Federal payments must be
processed through Electronic Funds Transfer/Direct Deposit.
Therefore, all educational institutions must have an electronic
funds transfer account with our Division of Fiscal Operations
(DFO) in order for tuition and fee payments to be made in
a timely manner.
Scholarship
awards are based on the cost of full-time attendance at
the initial school of record. A full-time student is defined
as a student enrolled for a sufficient number of credit
hours in any academic term to complete the course of study
within the number of academic terms normally required at
the school. The NHSC Scholarship Program will
only pay tuition and fees for pre-approved summer school
sessions when summer school is an academic term normally
required by the school for all students in the same program.
Payment
for any increases in tuition or required fees that are reported
by the school after the Data Collection Worksheet for Academic
Year 2008-2009 has been received by the BCRS will be subject
to the availability of funds, good standing of the student,
and a determination that this is in the best interest of
the Federal government. The program will not pay tuition
and fees for any portion of a school term prior to July
1, 2008.
Should
a participant be taking classes at more than one school,
please be advised that the NHSC Scholarship Program
cannot make payments to more than one school.
Changes
in schools are strongly discouraged once the applicant has
been accepted into the NHSC Scholarship Program. Changes
in schools must be approved by BCRS, in advance, to ensure
continued eligibility for funding. Funding will
be based on the initial school of record for all school
year contracts executed during Fiscal Year 2008. For
example, if the 2008-2009 tuition of the initial school
of record is $10,000, and the tuition of the proposed transfer
school is $15,000, then the NHSC may not have the additional
funding of $5,000 to pay for the scholar's tuition at the
proposed transfer school. Therefore, students should
carefully consider the financial implications of school
transfers. Changes in disciplines/degree programs
(e.g., from a physician assistant to a medical doctor) are
not permitted.
The
NHSC Scholarship Program will not pay for tuition costs
unrelated to the degree program, penalty fees for over extension
of a distance learning program, or for membership dues for
student societies, associations, loan processing fees, and
similar expenses.
The
NHSC Scholarship Program will pay ONLY for courses
that are required for graduation. Elective courses
not required for graduation are not eligible for payment.
Upon
receipt of an invoice for the tuition and fees required
of all students from the educational institution, payment
will be made to the educational institution. NOTE:
Any fees on the invoice that were included in Other Reasonable
Cost will not be approved for payment to the educational
institution, as those funds are provided separately and
paid directly to the scholar.
If an
applicant is unsure of what is covered by the NHSC scholarship,
please contact the NHSC Scholarship Program in writing or
email for further clarification.
Other
Reasonable Costs (ORC)
The
NHSC Scholarship Program will make ORC payments to cover
expenses for required books, clinical supplies, laboratory
expenses, instruments, two sets of uniforms, graduation
fees (if applicable), computer/PDA rental or purchase (only
if required of all students) and travel expenses for one
clinical rotation. For new awardees, the ORC will
be paid with the first stipend payment (received by the
first week of November). The ORC payment covers the
school year and the student must budget funds received accordingly.
The
OCR payment made to the scholarship recipient may or may
not meet the total expenses required by the school.
Individual
vouchers or receipts for expenses will not be honored.
Stipend
Amount
During
the 2008-2009 academic year, the NHSC Scholarship Program
will pay stipends based on a monthly stipend amount of $1,233
(before Federal taxes) directly to each recipient.
The first payment for new awardees will include stipend
payments retroactive to July 1 and payment for Other Reasonable
Costs.
Receipt
of the monthly stipend payment does not mean that the student
is employed by the Federal Government or participates in
any of the benefits available to Federal employees.
Method
of Payment
DIRECT
DEPOSIT IS MANDATORY. All stipend and Other Reasonable
Cost payments are paid directly to the student's financial
institution through direct deposit.
Any
change in financial institution or account information
will require submission of a new Direct
Deposit form. Do not close the old account
until the first payment in the new account is received
to ensure that there is no delay in payment.
Taxation
of the NHSC Scholarship
ONLY
THE STIPEND PAYMENTS made to scholars under the NHSC
scholarship are taxable.
Information
on how to obtain an Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-4 is available.
The information provided on the W-4 form will be used
to determine withholding of Federal taxes on the stipend
portion of the scholarship. Students who want additional
funds deducted from the stipend amount should indicate the
additional amount to be deducted on the appropriate line
on the W-4 form. We advise students to consult their
local tax authority regarding State or local taxes for which
they may be liable, as State and local income taxes will
not be withheld. It is the responsibility of the
scholarship recipient to arrange for the payment of any
additional Federal, State, and/or local taxes that may be
owed.
Treasury
Offset Program
Under the Treasury Offset Program, the Treasury Department
is authorized to offset a student's NHSC scholarship payments
if the student becomes delinquent on a Federal debt after
entering the NHSC Scholarship Program. In addition, the
Treasury Department is authorized to offset NHSC scholarship
payments for application to the student's State debts, including
delinquent child support payments.
Child
Support Obligation
In
keeping with the President's Executive Orders concerning compliance
with child support orders, the NHSC Scholarship Program is
stressing the importance of honoring any child support obligation
an applicant may have.
Discontinuation
of Benefits
The NHSC Scholarship Program will discontinue the payment
of all benefits under the following circumstances:
- While
the recipient is on a leave of absence (for personal or
medical reasons) which has been approved by the school;
- While
the recipient is repeating course work which delays the
recipient's graduation date. The NHSC Scholarship Program
will pay tuition only for courses taken the first time.
(This does not include courses taken prior to the receipt
of the NHSC Scholarship Program award.) If a student
repeats a course which is taken in addition to a standard
full-time course load and the repeat course work does not
delay the graduation date, payment of the monthly stipend
will continue, but the NHSC Scholarship Program will not
pay for the course work being repeated;
- While
the recipient is enrolled in school as a less than full-time
student; and
- If
the recipient withdraws or is dismissed from school.
Moreover, the recipients' withdrawal or dismissal from school
is a breach of the scholarship contract, and the recipient
will be liable to repay the amount described in the "A
Failure to Complete Academic Training" section
of this Bulletin.
A recipient
is required to notify the Scholarship Support Branch of the
Division of Scholar and Clinician Support immediately, in
writing, whenever any of the following events are anticipated
or expected:
1) an
approved leave of absence;
2) repeat course work;
3) a decrease in credit hours in any academic term; or
4) withdrawal or dismissal from school.
The NHSC
Scholarship Program needs to know, in advance, that the above
events may occur, so that timely action can be taken to discontinue
payments and avoid overpayments. The recipient must
also submit a letter, to the Scholarship Support Branch from
the school verifying that one of these events has occurred.
Please be advised that if the NHSC Scholarship Program
has any questions concerning a participant's eligibility for
continued support, the NHSC Scholarship Program may delay
the payment of all benefits to that participant pending clarification
of the participant's eligibility status.
Termination
of Contract
The Secretary
of Health and Human Services may terminate an NHSC Scholarship
Program Contract for a school year if the recipient, on
or before June 1 of the school year: 1) submits a written
request to terminate his or her contract for that school year
to the Scholarship Support Branch, DSCS, and
2) repays all amounts paid to, or on behalf of that recipient
for that school year. If a scholarship recipient does
not meet these requirements, he or she will incur a service
commitment for the full or partial year of support received,
as set forth in the "Fulfilling
the Service Commitment"section of this Bulletin.
A scholar
who begins receiving support under a school year contract
and subsequently has that support discontinued for the remainder
of the same school year (due to a leave of absence, repeat
course work or less than full-time enrollment) may wish to
submit a request to terminate that school year contract.
The potential benefit of such a request is two-fold.
First, the student would not incur a service obligation for
that school year. Second, that school year would not
count against the student's maximum of 4 school years of support.
For example,
a medical student signs a contract for 4 school years of scholarship
support, through his date of graduation. During the
third school year, this student goes on a leave of absence
from October 1 through June 30. If the student submits
a written request to terminate his/her third year contract
and repays any scholarship support received for that year
by June 1 of the third school year, the Secretary will terminate
his/her third year contract (eliminating his service obligation
for the third school year of support and making him/her eligible
to receive scholarship support for 2 more years (subject to
the availability of funds). If this medical student
elects to retain the scholarship support received from July
1 through October 1, he/she would owe a year of service for
the partial third year of support received and would be eligible
to receive only one additional year of scholarship support.
Resumption
of Benefits for Contracts That Have Not Been Terminated
To
resume benefits under existing scholarship contracts (contracts
that have not been terminated), the recipient must submit
documentation from a school official confirming that he/she
is: 1) enrolled as a full-time student in courses leading
to the degree for which the scholarship was awarded and 2)
not repeating course work. Requests for the resumption
of scholarship benefits will be considered on a case-by-case
basis by the Associate Administrator, BCRS, to determine the
recipient's eligibility to receive continuing funds.
For recipients who have not repaid overpayments received,
the resumption of scholarship benefits will be subject to
the administrative offset described in the below "Collection
of Benefit Overpayments"section of this Bulletin.
For recipients whose benefits were discontinued due to their
withdrawal or dismissal from school, benefits will not be
resumed. See "Failure to Complete
Academic Training."
Collection
of Benefit Overpayments
Scholarship
Program payment(s) received by a recipient, including payment(s)
made to a school on the recipient's behalf, during periods
while the recipient is on an approved leave of absence, is
repeating course work, or is enrolled as a part-time student,
are overpayments. Overpayments may also occur due to administrative
error. A participant receiving an overpayment should
immediately telephone the Scholarship Support Branch, DSCS,
and follow-up in writing to make arrangements to promptly
return all overpayment(s) to avoid interest accrual and debt
collection procedures.
Debt
collection procedures include sending delinquent overpayments
to a debt collection agency, reporting the overpayments
to credit reporting agencies, offsetting Federal and/or
State payments due to the delinquent scholar (e.g., an IRS
income tax refund) to collect the overpayments, and
referral of the overpayments to the Department of Justice
for enforced collection. For recipients who receive subsequent
funding under the NHSC Scholarship Program, the overpayments
maybe collected through administrative offset. The NHSC
Scholarship Program may withhold scholarship funds payable
to, or on behalf of, the recipient (including stipends,
ORC, and, if necessary, tuition payments) until the overpayment
owed is paid in full.
Administrative
offset is not a repayment option for scholars who wish to
terminate a contract.
Effect
on Participation in Other Programs
Receipt
of an NHSC scholarship award does not automatically preclude
a participant from receiving funds from other programs,
as long as no service commitment is involved. However,
many student assistance programs are based on the student's
financial need, or may be limited to the payment of expenses
already paid by the NHSC Scholarship Program. The
list of NHSC Scholarship Program recipients supplied to
the schools will enable the school officials to reevaluate
the financial need or eligibility of these individuals for
funds under other aid programs. When continuation
of financial assistance is not warranted, the school is
required to reduce or terminate payments. Applicants
should contact their financial aid officers to determine
how the receipt of an NHSC scholarship may affect him/her.
Tuition and fees already paid by another program should
not be submitted to the NHSC Scholarship Program for payment
unless reimbursement will be made to the funding source.
Educational
benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (G.I. Bill)
continue along with NHSC funds, since these benefits were
earned as a result of prior active duty in a uniformed service.
Graduating
Off-Cycle
All
NHSC scholarship contracts are for a specific school year.
Under the NHSC Scholarship Program, all school years run
from July 1 through June 30. If, for example, a student
is in a 24-month program that begins on August 3, 2008 and
he/she signs contracts for 2 school years, the student will
receive stipend, ORC and tuition payments through June 30,
2010. Funding for the extra months of the program
beyond June 30, 2010 would require a request for a third
year of scholarship funding and, if granted, obligates the
recipient to 3 full years of service commitment. If
a student is in a 24-month program that begins on May 3,
2008 and he/she signs contracts for 2 school years, the
student will receive stipend, ORC and tuition payments from
July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010 or the month that the
recipient completes the required classes for graduation,
whichever comes first.
Continuing
Support after the 2008-2009 School Year
The
NHSC Scholarship Program award and contract will be for
the 2008-2009 school year and any additional school years
(Optional Contracts) requested by the applicant and agreed
to by the Secretary as indicated on the signed contracts.
Support will be paid for the years agreed to in the contracts,
based on the costs of the initial school of record; provided,
the student is enrolled full-time in eligible academic courses
leading to the degree for which he/she was funded, is not
repeating course work, and is in good standing.
If a
student signs a contract for only 1 year of support (2008-2009
school year), his/her scholarship support will be terminated
as of June 30, 2009. Should this student decide that
he/she would like additional scholarship support for the
next school year (2009-2010) and any subsequent school years
through graduation, the student must submit a report verifying
his/her good standing and a signed contract for that school
year (and, if desired, Contract Extensions for subsequent
school years through graduation -- up to the maximum of
4 school years of support). Please be advised
that since all recipients incur a minimum 2-year service
commitment, it may be in the best interest of the student
to sign contracts for 2 years of support, if the student
will need scholarship support for all or part of the 2009-2010
school year.
For
example, if a scholar wanted continued support for the 2009-2010
school year, the materials must be received by March 27,
2009 or other date(s) determined by the program.
The
granting of continuation awards depends upon 1) the availability
of funds for the NHSC Scholarship Program, 2) the current
or former participant's continued eligibility to participate
in the NHSC Scholarship Program (i.e., the student must
be enrolled full-time in academic courses leading to the
degree for which he/she was funded and must not be repeating
course work), 3) the student is in academic good standing,
and 4) the current or former participant is in compliance
with policies and procedures established by the NHSC Scholarship
Program for requesting continued support. If a
continuation award is granted, the first payment may not
be received until the 7th of November, but will
include stipends retroactive to July 1, and the annual ORC
payment.
DEFERMENTS
FOR POST-DEGREE ADVANCED TRAINING
For
physicians (M.D. and D.O.), the service commitment will begin
upon completion of a BCRS-approved specialty in an accredited
primary care medical residency. For dentists (D.D.S.
and D.M.D.), the service commitment will begin upon the completion
of the degree program supported by the NHSC Scholarship Program
or, if applicable, upon the completion of post-degree residency
or advanced training approved by the BCRS. For nurse
midwives, family nurse practitioners and physician assistants,
the service commitment will begin upon the completion of the
degree program supported by the NHSC Scholarship Program.
Upon a written request from the scholar, the BCRS will grant
a deferment of service to scholarship recipients to complete
post-degree advanced training (including an internship or
residency) if the BCRS determines that the training is
consistent with the needs of the NHSC to deliver primary health
care services in HPSAs.
Deferring
Service for Postgraduate Medical or Dental Education (Residency)
During
the final year of allopathic or osteopathic medical school
or dental school, scholarship recipients will be sent a
Deferment Information Bulletin (DIB) describing the
policies and procedures for approving deferments and a Deferment
Request Form (DRF) to enable them to request approval
from the BCRS for their residency plans. The Division of
Scholar and Clinician Support will review the DRF and return
a copy to the scholarship recipient if the DRF has been
approved. After graduation, the scholarship recipients
with approved deferments will be expected to start their
residency training on or about July 1. To the extent that
the DIB subsequently received by the scholarship
recipient may be inconsistent with this Bulletin,
the DIB will take precedence.
For
allopathic and osteopathic medical students entering
the NHSC Scholarship Program in the 2008-2009 school year,
the approved specialties for which training deferments will
be granted are:
Allopathic
and osteopathic medical students MUST complete one of the
BCRS-approved specialties set forth above prior to commencing
service or be subject to the damages provision described
later in this Bulletin.
Physicians are required to use their best efforts to obtain
a slot in an approvable residency program by July 1, of
their graduation year, either through the residency match
process or outside the match process.
Allopathic
and osteopathic medical students who are unsure about their
future specialty interests or who are unable to commit themselves
to complete specialty training in any of the approvable
specialties specified above are advised not to apply
for participation in the NHSC Scholarship Program.
The
BCRS may approve, on a case-by-case basis, consistent with
the needs of the NHSC, requests submitted by clinicians
in their last year of residency training for a single year
of additional training in three specific fellowships:
-
A 1-year Child Psychiatry Fellowship which may follow
the completion of residency training in Psychiatry;
- A 1-year
Obstetrics/Gynecology Fellowship which may follow the completion
of residency training in Family Practice; and
- A 1-year
Geriatrics Fellowship which may follow the completion of
residency training in Family Practice or General Internal
Medicine.
For
dental students entering the NHSC Scholarship Program
in the 2008-2009 school year, the approved specialties for
which training deferments may be granted are:
- General
Dentistry Residency (up to 2 years)
- Advanced
Education in General Dentistry (1 year)
- Pediatric
Dentistry (2 years)
- Public
Health Dentistry (2 years)
Dental students
are encouraged, but not required, to complete one of the postgraduate
clinical training programs approved by the NHSC for the Scholarship
Program set forth above prior to commencing service. Dental
students who wish to pursue specialty training other than the
programs listed above are advised not to participate in the
NHSC Scholarship Program.
NOTE:
When selecting a residency program, it is the responsibility
of the scholarship recipient to research the residency programs
to assure that the program selected will provide adequate
training to enable the scholarship recipient to sit for the
appropriate boards.
Training
for Which Deferments Are Not Granted
Deferments
will not be approved by the BCRS for non-primary
health care programs (e.g., emergency medicine, surgery, radiology,
neurology, anesthesiology, ophthalmology, pathology, oral
surgery, endodontics, etc.) or programs which the BCRS determines
are not consistent with the needs of the NHSC to provide primary
health services in HPSAs.
- Deferments
will not be approved by the BCRS for postgraduate
health professions education conducted by a branch of the
Armed Forces of the United States. Participants in such
programs incur military service obligations which conflict
with the service commitment required under the NHSC Scholarship
Program.
- Deferments
will not be approved by the BCRS for part-time
residency training.
- Deferments
will not be approved by the BCRS for transitional
residency training.
Please
write to the Division of Scholar and Clinician Support or
call 1-800-221-9393 if you have any questions about the service
deferments the NHSC Scholarship Program will grant for postgraduate
medical education.
No
Scholarship Payments, Service Obligation or Service Credit
During
residency and other advanced training, recipients do not
receive NHSC Scholarship Program financial support nor
do they incur additional NHSC Scholarship Program service
commitments.
Periods
of advanced training (including residencies) are not creditable
toward satisfying the scholarship service commitment, even
though the training may occur in a facility located in a HPSA.
Conditions
of Deferment
The
terms and conditions of deferment require participants:
- To
pursue training which is approved for deferment by the BCRS,
and which does not incur a conflicting service commitment;
- To complete
and return the annual Deferment Request Form, or provide
equivalent evidence of approvable training, by the deadline
stated in the Deferment Information Bulletin;
- To make
no change in the type or period of training without prior
written approval of the NHSC Scholarship Program; and
- To notify
the NHSC Scholarship Program in writing, within 30 days,
of his/her new mailing address and/or any changes that affect
their training status.
Scholarship
recipients, who, after graduation, enter training that is
not approved for deferment by the NHSC Scholarship Program,
or who otherwise fail to comply with the published terms
and conditions of deferment, will be subject to the damages
provision described later in this Bulletin.
FULFILLING
THE SERVICE COMMITMENT
NHSC
Scholarship Program recipients incur 1 year of obligated
service for each full or partial school year of support.
The minimum service commitment is 2 years; the maximum is
4 years.
Recipients
are obligated to provide full-time
clinical primary health care services in high need,
high-priority HPSAs selected by the BCRS.
Beginning
Date of Service Commitment
Participants who receive a deferment to complete BCRS-approved
postgraduate advanced training are required to begin service
as soon as possible upon expiration of the approved deferment
period.
All
physicians must complete a primary care residency
and are expected to begin service within 3 months of the
scholar match deadline for that placement year (currently
June 30). Dentists who elect to pursue a residency
approved by BCRS are similarly expected to begin service
upon completion of their approved deferment within 3 months
of the scholar match deadline for that placement year (currently
June 30). Dentists who do not receive a deferment
to complete post-degree advanced training must begin their
service commitment as soon as possible after receipt of
their dental degree by securing necessary licensure and
a job offer within 6 months of graduation and starting work
within 3 months of receipt of the job offer.
Nurse
midwives, family nurse practitioners and physician assistants
must begin their service commitment as soon as possible
after receipt of the degree for which they received support
by securing necessary licensure, certification and a job
offer within 6 months of graduation and starting work within
3 months of receipt of the job offer.
All
scholarship recipients are expected to comply with the examination,
certification and licensure requirements set forth in the
"Licensure/Certification Required"
section of this Bulletin.
The
recipient and an authorized representative of the site negotiate
a start date. Start dates for physicians will ordinarily
not be later than 3 months from the date the physician completes
approved postgraduate training. Start dates for other
participants vary based upon the individuals' graduation
dates or the timing of their certifications/licensure examinations.
Credit
for service toward the NHSC scholarship commitment does
not begin until: (1) the scholar passes required licensing
or national certification exams; (2) the scholar obtains
a license to practice in the State where the NHSC service
site is located (unless he or she h |
