Grants for State Loan Repayment (93.165)

Program

93.165 Grants for State Loan Repayment

Federal Agency

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

Authorization

Public Health Service Act, Title III, Section 3381, 42 U.S.C. 254 q-1.

Program Number

93.165

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

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

PROJECT GRANTS

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

The term "State" means each of the fifty 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 in HPSAs under the State Loan Repayment Program.

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 required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official 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.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. HRSA requires all applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov.

All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. Based on the advice of the objective review committee, the HRSA program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions.

Award Procedure

Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Grant Award..

Deadlines

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

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Approximately 120 days.

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

This program has no statutory formula.

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.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

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: Grantee drawdown funds, as necessary, from the Payment Management System (PMS). PMS is the centralized web based payment system for HHS awards.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Recipient States must submit a biannual Uniform Progress Report,. No cash reports are required. Recipient States must submit a final progress report along with an annual financial report in the format approved under OMB Circular No. 0915-0004. No expenditure reports are required. No performance monitoring is required.

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.

Records

Grantees are required to maintain grant accounting records 3 years after the date they submit the FSR. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the award 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 08, 24 competing awards were made. Fiscal Year 2009: It is expected that approximately 24 continuing awards will be made in FY09. Fiscal Year 2010: A new competition is planned for FY 2010.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-0350-0-1-550.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $6,947,125; FY 09 est $10,000,000; FY 10 est $7,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

(FY 2009) $38,986,000 to $1,000,000; $289,464 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

93.162 National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program; 93.364 Nursing Student Loans; 93.908 Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program

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 Fishera Lane, Room 9-36, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Phone: (301) 443-5244

Web Site Address

www.hrsa.gov.

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

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.