State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) in Maryland

SLRP in Maryland is a collaborative effort among state and federal entities.  SLRP offers physicians an opportunity to practice in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) while also getting funds to help pay their higher education loans. 

Eligible Physicians:

Primary care physicians are eligible:
• General internal medicine
• Family medicine
• General pediatrics
• Obstetrics and gynecology, or
• General psychiatry 

Eligible Practice Sites:

An eligible practice site is one operated as a public clinic by any federal, state, local governmental entity or a non-profit medical care facility that 1) treats all persons regardless of ability to pay, and 2) is located in a geographic region of Maryland that the Health Resources and Services Administration has designated as a HPSA (Primary Care HPSA for internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology; Mental HPSA for psychiatry). 

Eligibility Requirements:

Physicians who are eligible to apply for participation in the SLRP must meet the requirements listed below.  These requirements are included in the SLRP Participant Application. 
• have a medical degree (Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy) and completed residency training;
• be a primary care physician (that is, general internal medicine, family medicine, general pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, or general psychiatry);
• have a valid unrestricted license to practice medicine in the State of Maryland at the time the service obligation begins;
• be a citizen of the United States or be a U.S. National;
• be employed full-time (at least 40 hours per week) at an eligible practice site;
• have not breached an obligation for service to a federal, state, or local governmental entity or another obligation for service even if the obligation was ultimately fulfilled;
• have no judgment lien against your property for a debt to the United States;
• not be excluded, debarred, suspended, or disqualified by a Federal agency;
• have no unserved obligations for service to a federal, state, local government, or other entity, with the exception of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Primary Care Loans, Exceptional Financial Need Scholarships, and Financial Assistance for Disadvantaged Health Professions Students;
• have no existing service obligation with any other loan repayment program;
• have outstanding higher education loan debt and NOT be in default on any eligible higher education loan;
• have no debts written off as uncollectible;
• have no service or payment obligation waived;
• have never violated court-ordered child support or been delinquent in child support payments; and
• practice at an eligible practice site.

Application Deadline and Process:

Applications are due May 1, 2013. A technical scoring sheet will be used to score and rank your application. The following criteria is scored and ranked when reviewing an application:

1. Providing services in a Health Enterprise Zone;
2. The Professional Competence and conduct of an applicant;
3. Specialty of Practice;
4. Jurisdiction;
5. Rural/Urban Practice Site;
6. Health Professional Shortage Area Score;
7. Years provider plans on working at site;
8. Total educational loan indebtedness;
9. Salary

Award Amount

Up to $25,000 per year for a 2-year obligation.

Renewing an Award

A recipient may reapply for an award after completion of the first two year service obligation.  A recipient’s total award amount cannot exceed $100,000, or two 2-year obligations at $25,000 per year.

There are six Parts to the SLRP application.Click here for the Application Package.

Contact

For other health professionals who are not primary care physicians, please visit: http://www.mhec.state.md.us/financialAid/descriptions.asp   or http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/

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