Delaware offers health care providers up to $200,000 in loan forgiveness.

A state-funded program in Delaware offers medical school debt relief for primary care providers who agree to practice in underserved areas of the state for two years. The Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) is responsible for the administration of the program and may award education loan repayment grants to primary care providers who are within two years of graduation in specific specialties, up to $50,000 a year for a maximum of four years. Providers may apply to only one program, either this state-funded HCPLRP or the federally funded SLRP.

Why Delaware

U.S. News & World Report ranks Delaware among the top 20 states for health care, economy, infrastructure and fiscal stability. Since 2010, Delaware has been the fastest-growing state by population in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, as well as the 15th-fastest-growing state in the nation. The cost of living is low and quality of life -with beaches, state parks, greenways and tax-free shopping -is high. Learn More here

Who is Eligible

Individuals as well as hospitals, private practices and health care organizations on behalf of qualifying employees may apply. Priority consideration will be given to students who participate in the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research (DIMER) as well as participants in Delaware-based residency programs.

To be eligible, individuals must have Completed graduate education within two years U.S. citizenship authorization to work in the U.S. for the period of loan repayment or a j-1Visa. Completed a residency program (for advanced-degree practitioners)

To be eligible, hospitals or practices must: Accept Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP Reimbursements Participate in the Department of Health and Social Services Voluntary Initiative Program (VIP), administered by the Medical Society of Delaware

ELIGIBLE DEGREES	ELIGIBLE SPECIALTIES

Doctor of Medicine (MD)    Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Family Medicine (including Osteopathic general practice) Internal Medicine Pediatrics Psychiatry Geriatrics Obstetrics/Gynecology

Nurse Practitioner (NP)    Physician Assistant (PA)    Certified Nurse Midwife (CNW)    Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)    Master of Psychology    Licensed Psychologist    Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)    Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health

Internal Medicine Family Medicine Pediatrics Psychiatry/Mental Health Geriatrics Women's Health

Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)    Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD)

General Dentistry Pediatric Dentistry Public Health Dentistry

You are ineligible if you have competing contractual obligations for health care services; federal judgment liens; breached service obligations, even if subsequently satisfied; past/present defaults for federal payment obligations or debt write-offs, uncollectable, waiver, or otherwise; convictions, admission of guilt, or disciplines issued by a certificate/licensing authority; or felony convictions.

For questions about eligibility, email DHCC@delaware.gov.

Clinician Commitment

Awarded clinicians will be asked to commit to an initial contract term of two years with the state of Delaware to receive loan repayment. Those who receive loan repayment must agree to practice in ambulatory and outpatient settings in an underserved area of need, which could include a hospital primary care practice, a private practice, a Federally Qualified Health Center, a community outpatient or mental health facility, or a free medical clinic.

Full-Time Committment	Part-Time Committment
40 hours per week is mandatory for full-time health care professionals. A minimum of 45 weeks constitutes a full year of service - prior approval needed. Compressed schedules are limited to four days per week, with no more than 12 hours of work in any 24-hour period. Travel or on-call time is not included in the required work hours.	20 to 39 hours per week is mandatory for part-time health professionals. A minimum of 20 hours per week, prorated to FT at 40 hours per week

Application and Funding

Applicants need to submit a three (3) part application:

• Part A - Employer Application (submit by email)
• Part B - Healthcare Practitioner Application (submit by email)
• Part C - Loan Information and Verification (submit by mail/email/fax)

Award amounts are prioritized according to six criteria: geographic location, underrepresentation in medical environments, number of years residing in Delaware, graduation with an advanced degree from a Delaware-affiliated medical school and/or Delaware-based residency program, multilingual fluency, and continuing participation in the program. The priority areas are calculated based on responses submitted in the applications.

Weighted scoring metrics are tabulated to quantify award distribution per year as follows:

1-4 points	5-7 points	7-9.5
30% of maximum funding	60% of maximum funding	100% of maximum funding
$15,000	$30,000	$50,000

Applicants practicing at hospital sites are eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match by the hospital. The match must be coordinated with the DHCC. Should one or more of the health systems fail to provide matching funds within 30 calendar days of signing a valid contractual agreement, the DHCC will initiate steps to terminate the agreement.

When to Apply

The DHCC continuously accepts applications for this program. However, there are application deadlines for contracts to be issued every September and March. Additional contract start dates may be added based on funding and eligible participants.

Applications Accepted	Application Deadline	Anticipated Contract Start Date*
October-March	March 15	May 31
April-September	September 15	November 30