Arra - State Loan Repayment Program (93.402)

Program

93.402 Arra - State Loan Repayment Program

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Health Resources and Services Administration

Authorization

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) , Public Law 111-5.

Program Number

93.402

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

For medically underserved populations, as funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). To increase the availability of primary health care in health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) by assisting States in operating programs for the repayment of educational loans of health professionals in return for their practice in HPSAs.

Types of Assistance

Direct Payments for Specified Use

Uses and Use Restrictions

State programs are to be similar to 93.162, the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program. Similar provisions include: (1) Applicants for State programs must have completed a course of study required to practice as one of the following health care professionals: allopathic or osteopathic physician, dentist, nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, psychiatric nurse specialist, marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor or dental hygienist; and (2) participants must provide full-time clinical service for a minimum of two years in a public or non-profit entity located in a federally designated health professional shortage area. The Federal share of the support for State programs cannot exceed 50 percent of the contract costs. The State's 50 percent share must be spent for repayment of loans and the State must absorb program administrative costs.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible entities include the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Beneficiary Eligibility

See above.

Credentials/Documentation

Applicants should review the individual HRSA Guidance documents issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedure

Grant applications will be given an objective review. Final award decisions will be made by the Director of the Bureau of Health Professions.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

For new and competing continuation grants the following criteria will be used to evaluate State applications to determine which States are to be supported under this notice: (a) The extent of the State's need for health professionals consistent with the health professions and specialties identified later in this notice; (b) the extent to which special consideration will be extended to federally designated HPSAs with large minority populations; (c) the number and type of providers the State proposes to support through this program; (d) the appropriateness of the proposed placements of State LRP recipients (e.g., consistency and coordination with State-based plans to improve access to primary health services for the underserved communities and individuals); (e) the appropriateness of the qualifications, the administrative, and managerial ability of the staff to implement the proposed project; (f) the suitability of the State's approach and the degree to which the plan of a State is coordinated with Federal, State, and other programs for meeting the State's health professional needs and resources, including mechanisms for ongoing evaluation of the program's activities; (g) the source and plans for the use of the nonfederal match (the degree to which the nonfederal match exceeds the minimum requirements or has increased over time and the amount of the match relative to the needs and resources of the State); (h) for competing continuation applicants only, the grantee's progress in achieving stated goals and objectives for the previous year's grant; this includes a progress report on the impact the State LRP placements have had on the State's short-term and long-term professional needs: (i) an assessment of the reasons for initial breaches by health professionals of repayment contracts; and (j) the grantee's history of compliance with reporting requirements. Noncompeting continuation applications will be evaluated on the grantee's progress in achieving stated goals and objectives for the previous year's grant; this includes a progress report on the impact the State LRP placements have had on the State's short-term and long-term professional needs: (i) and assessment of the reasons for initial breaches by health professionals of repayment contracts; and (ii) the grantee's history of compliance with reporting requirements.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Subsequent funding depends upon the availability of funds and program performance. Renewals are funded through a competitive process each year.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching Requirements: Percent: 50.%. The Federal share of any program may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of loan repayment contracts made to eligible providers. The Federal share must be used to repay the government and commercial loans of health professionals for tuition, educational expenses and living expenses described in Section 338B(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act. Other Federal funds cannot be used for the non-federal cost participation. No portion of the Federal share shall be used to pay for administrative or management costs of any State Loan Repayment Program. The non-federal share is to be issued for the repayment of loans. States must assume administrative costs.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

A grant award is for 1 year. Applicants may propose a project period of up to 3 years. States are asked to commit the full amount of funding for their loan repayment awards to practitioners in the current fiscal year to avoid out-year commitments for additional Federal funds. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Notice of Grant Award.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program reports are not applicable. Cash reports are not applicable. All projects funded with ARRA funds are subject to special quarterly reporting requirements as outlined in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act. Recipient States must submit a biannual Uniform Progress Report, and final progress report along with an annual financial report in the format approved under OMB Circular No. 0915-0004. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

Grantees are required to maintain grant accounting records 3 years after the end of a grant period. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the record has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In FY 07, 24 competing awards were made. It is expected that approximately 24 continuation awards will be made in FY 08. Fiscal Year 2009: FY 09 $10 million ARRA Funding. Fiscal Year 2010: FY 10 $10 million ARRA Funding.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-0351-0-1-550.

Obligations

(Salaries) FY 08 not reported.; FY 09 est $10,000,000; FY 10 est $10,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$100,000 to $1,000,000; $302,834 average.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR Part 92 for State, local and tribal governments and 45 CFR Part 74 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofit organizations and commercial organizations, as applicable.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Elsie Quinones, Acting Chief, Geriatrics and Public Health Branch, Division of Diversity and Interdisciplinary Education, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-36, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: 301-443-5244 and Email equinones@hrsa.gov.

Headquarters Office

Elsie Quinones 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-36, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Phone: (301) 443-5244

Web Site Address

No Data Available

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: 93. 165, State Loan Repayment Program; 93.162, National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program; 93.364, Nursing Student Loans; 93.908, Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program. Fiscal Year 2009: 93. 165, State Loan Repayment Program; 93.162, National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program; 93.364, Nursing Student Loans; 93.908, Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program. Fiscal Year 2010: 93. 165, State Loan Repayment Program; 93.162, National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program; 93.364, Nursing Student Loans; 93.908, Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals