Grants for State Loan Repayment (93.165)
Program
93.165 Grants for State Loan Repayment
Federal Agency
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Authorization
Public Health Service Act, Section 3381, 42 U.S.C. 254 q-1, as amended; National Health Service Corps Amendments Act of 1990, Title II, Public Law 101-597.
Program Number
93.165
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To increase the availability of primary 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
Project Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
State programs are to be similar to 93.162, 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 counselors 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
The term "State" means each of the several States. Any State is eligible to apply for a grant.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State governments will benefit by securing the services of health professionals for health professional shortage areas in States. This program will also benefit health professions practitioners whose loans would be repaid for service under the State program.
Credentials/Documentation
In addition to requirements of Form PHS 5161-1 (Standard Form 424), State applicants will be required to provide: (1) Adequate assurances that sufficient funds are available to cover nonfederal share of program costs; (2) description of the source of and plans for the use of nonfederal matching funds; (3) description of the State program; and (4) description of the State's need for Federal assistance. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or officials designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The single point of contact for a State may be obtained from the Director, Division of Scholarships and Loan Repayments, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), 10th Floor, 4350 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Application Procedure
Application is made by submitting the DHHS Standard Application Form 424 (PHS-5161-1). Applications may be obtained by writing to: Office of Grants Management, Bureau of Primary Health Care, 11th Floor, 4350 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814. This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR 92. The standard application forms, as provided by DHHS and required by 45 CFR 92 for State and local governments, must be used for this program.
Award Procedure
Grant applications will be given an objective review by the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC). Awards will be issued to successful applicants by the Director of BPHC/HRSA.
Deadlines
Deadlines will be published in the HRSA Discretionary Grant Planning and Public Notification System. Contact Headquarters Office listed below for further information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
None.
Renewals
Subsequent funding depends upon the availability of funds and is a competitive process each year.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
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 nonfederal 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 nonfederal share is to be issued for the repayment of loans. States must assume administrative costs.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
A grant award is for 1 year. Applicants may propose a project period of up to 5 years. States are asked to commit the full amount of funding for their loan repayment awards to students/practitioners in the current fiscal year to avoid out-year commitments for additional Federal funds.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Recipient States must submit a quarterly, annual, and final progress report along with an annual financial report in the format approved under OMB Circular No. 0915-0004.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Financial records must be kept available for 3 years after the submission of expenditure reports and for 5 years after the final disposition of non-expendable property.
Program Accomplishments
There were 36 awards made in fiscal year 2001. It is expected that approximately 38 awards will be made in fiscal year 2002 and approximately 40 awards in fiscal year 2003.
Financial Information
Account Identification
75-0350-0-1-550.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 02 $7,200,000; FY 03 est $8,500,000; FY 04 est $9,500,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$50,000 to $1,000,000; $250,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Pertinent information is contained in Section 3381 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, 42 U.S.C. 254q-1, as amended by Title II, Public Law 101-597; National Health Service Corps Amendments of 1990, 45 CFR 74 and 45 CFR 100; and PHS Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 90-50,000, (Rev.) October 1, 1990.
Related Programs
93.162, National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program; 93.364, Nursing Student Loans.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Not applicable.
Headquarters Office
Director, Division of State, Community and Public Health, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-105, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-7121; Grants Management Contact: Division of Grants Management Operations, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room11-11, Rockville, MD 20857.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
State Loan Repayment grants matched 169 providers at Health Professional Shortage Area Sites (HPSAs) in fiscal year 2000.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
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.
