If you or someone you know is a provider in a shortage area who has student loans, we encourage applying for the Illinois Department of Public Health loan assistance programs below.

The new Underserved Loan Program and the State Loan Repayment Program have recently received funding boosts, and they are less complicated than the National Health Service Corps.

The Illinois Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Program (UHCWP) covers primary care physicians (general internists, family physicians, general pediatricians), general surgeons, emergency medicine physicians, anesthesiologists, obstetricians, advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and chiropractors.
Apply for UHCWP

The Illinois National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) primary care physicians (residency trained or board eligible osteopathic or allopathic physicians trained in family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, internal medicine pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives; dentists or psychiatrists).
Apply for SLRP

The application may appear somewhat intimidating, but it really is an easy process as long as you stay organized. It’s an Illinois state program, and the contact usually replies fairly quickly.

The deadline to apply for the UHCWP is the end of January; prompt application is recommended for either program.