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FY 22 MINNESOTA LOAN FORGIVENESSPROGRAM INFORMATION NOTICE (PIN)Program eligibility requirements and benefits are established by Minnesota statute, 144.1501 asamended.Loan Forgiveness for Health Care Professionals Practicing inRural and Urban Health Professional Shortage Areas in MinnesotaProgram PurposeThe purpose of Minnesota Health Professional Loan Forgiveness Program is to recruit andretain health care professionals to needed areas and facilities in Minnesota. Loan Forgivenessis an important benefit for health care professionals as well as health care facilities, andcommunities experiencing a shortage of access to health care services.Program AdministrationThe Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC), Minnesota Department of Health,administers this program. It is funded by the State of Minnesota. Program eligibilityrequirements and benefits are established by Minnesota statute, 144.1501, authorizing theHealth Professional Loan Forgiveness Program.Application Deadline: 11:59 PM January 7, 2022All applications must be received by MDH Office of Rural Health and Primary Care no laterthan 11:59 p.m. Central Time on January 7, 2022.Late applications will not be accepted. It is the applicant’s sole responsibility to allowsufficient time to address all potential delays caused by any reason whatsoever. MDH will notbe responsible for delays caused by mail, delivery, computer or technology problems.Eligible ProfessionalsEligibility includes the following health professionals who have, or will have a permanent andunrestricted license to practice independently and unsupervised in the state of Minnesota byFall of 2022. The following is a detailed list of eligible professionals:MD/DO:Primary Care Doctors of Allopathic or Osteopathic Medicine (Family Practice,Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics or Psychiatry)DDS/DMD:General Practice Dentists (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)DT/ADT:Licensed Dental Therapists/Advanced Dental Therapists working under acollaborative agreement with a licensed dentistPharmD:PharmacistsNPPrimary Care Certified Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Nurse PractitionersCNMCertified Nurse-Midwives1
PAPrimary Care Physician AssistantsCRNACertified Registered Nurse AnesthetistsACNSAdvanced Clinical Nurse SpecialistsPHNPublic Health NursesLPN/RNLicensed Practical Nurses/Registered Nurses (working in nursinghomes/ICFs/home care provider, housing with services establishment)FacultyNursing Educators/Allied Healthcare Educators who are teaching in a postsecondary institutionLCPLicensed Clinical or Counseling Psychologists (Psy.D., Ph.D. or equivalent)LICSWLicensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (master’s or doctoral degree insocial work, LGSW not eligible)PNSPsychiatric Nurse Specialists/Nurse PractitionersLPCCLicensed Professional Clinical Counselors (master’s or doctoral degree with amajor study in counseling, licensed to practice independently andunsupervised)LMFTsLicensed Marriage and Family Therapists (master’s or doctoral degree with amajor study in marriage and family therapy, LAMFT not eligible)LADCLicensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor holds a valid license to engage in thepractice of alcohol and drug counseling.Program LimitationsApplicants to the Nurse Loan Forgiveness program are not eligible to apply if they arereceiving loan forgiveness funding from the Nursing Facility Employee Scholarship Programadministered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, as defined in MinnesotaStatute 256B.431, Subdivision 36.Applicants to the Urban or Rural Mental Health Professional Loan Forgiveness program arenot eligible to apply if they are participating in the Student Loan Payment Reimbursement forBehavioral Med Practitioners afforded under the State of Minnesota Commissioner’s Planper state labor negotiations.Applicants to all programs must have a Minnesota home address by the time of contractstart. Applicants serving Minnesota patients/clients but who have a home address in anotherstate are not eligible. Applicants serving Minnesota patients/clients via telehealth but whohave a home address outside of Minnesota are also not eligible.Loan EligibilityThe Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program provides funds for repayment of QualifiedEducational Loans. Qualified Educational Loans include government, commercial, andfoundation loans for actual costs paid for tuition, reasonable education and living expensesrelated to the past graduate or undergraduate education of a health care professional.2
Credit card debt or loans from family members do not qualify. Parent PLUS loans do notqualify.Loans in current or active default are NOT eligible for forgiveness in this program, even ifconsidered in good standing with the collections agency. Previously defaulted loans that havesince been completely rehabilitated and are not currently in active default status are eligible.Service ObligationA.For all health professionals, except as noted below:1. Participants are required to practice full time, or at least 30 hours per week, for atleast 45 weeks per year, for a minimum of three years, a maximum of four years.Up to 20% of the required 30 hours per week in clinical supervision is allowed.2. Public Health Nurses, Dental Therapists/Advanced Dental Therapists, Rural MentalHealth Professionals, Rural Advanced Practice Providers, Rural Physicians andPharmacists must work in in a Designated Rural Area. A Designated Rural Area isdefined by Minnesota statute 144.1501 and section 473.121, subdivision 2 as:a) A statutory and home rule charter city or township that is outside of theseven county metropolitan area of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin,Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties, and also outside of the cities ofDuluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester and St. Cloud.i. Exceptions: Within the seven county metropolitan area, the cities ofNorthfield, Cannon Falls, Hanover, Rockford, and New Prague areeligible Designated Rural Areas per section 473.121, subdivision 2.3. Urban Physicians, Urban Mental Health Professionals & Urban Psychiatric NursePractitioners must work in an Underserved Urban Community. An underservedurban community in Minneapolis–St. Paul is defined by Minnesota statute144.1501 as a health professional shortage area (HPSA), medically underservedarea (MUA), or with medically underserved populations (MUP). Use the websitefrom the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to verifythat a clinic or facility is in one of these designations. If your work site addressdoes not fall in one of these designations, you are not eligible to participate inthe Urban Loan Forgiveness program. Urban Mental Health Professionals,Urban Psychiatrists and Urban Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners only are also ableto practice in the cities include Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead and St. Cloud.4. Dentists are required to provide at least 25 percent of annual patient encountersto state public program enrollees or patients receiving a sliding fee scheduleanywhere in Minnesota.B.Nurses are required to practice in a licensed Minnesota nursing home; anintermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled; a hospital if the hospitalowns/operates a Minnesota nursing home where a minimum of 50 percent of thehours worked is in a nursing home; a housing with services establishment as definedin section 144D.01, subdivision 4; or for a home care provider as defined insection 144A.43, subdivision 4, you are required to practice full time, or at least 303
hours per week, for at least 45 weeks per year, for a minimum of two years, with theoption to extend your contract an additional two years.C.Nurse Faculty and Allied Health Care Faculty are required to teach at least twelvecredit hours, or 720 hours per year (including prep time) in the nursing/allied healthcare field in a postsecondary program anywhere in Minnesota.FundingDentistRural Dental Therapist/Advanced Dental TherapistUrban and Rural PhysiciansRural PharmacistsRural Midlevel PractitionersNurse Faculty/Allied Health Care FacultyNurses in Nursing Homes/Assisted Living/Home Care ProvidersRural Public Health NursesUrban and Rural Mental Health Professionals 40,000/year 13,000/year 29,000/year 24,000/year 14,000/year 11,000/year 6,000/year 6,000/year 18,000/year (Psychologists) 14,000/year (Psychiatric NPs) 9,300/year (LICSW, LMFT, LPCC,LADC)SelectionThis is a competitive selection process. Selections are made based on suitability for practiceas indicated by personal and professional experience and training noted on an application, aswell as preference given to those closest to completing their training. MDH also givespreference to applicants that can demonstrate cultural competencies. The number ofapplicants ORHPC may select for participation varies annually and is contingent upon thevacancy rate for each profession, and upon available state funding.Selection priority will be given within select professions (Urban/Rural Physicians, Urban/RuralMental Health Professionals and Urban/Rural Psychiatric Nurses ) who provide at least 25percent of annual patient encounters to state public program enrollees or patients receivinga sliding fee schedule discounts through a formal sliding fee schedule meeting the standardsestablished by United States Dept. of Health and Human Services under Code of FederalRegulations, title 42, section 51, chapter 303.Annual ReportingAnnually, ORHPC requires participants to verify their continued employment and submitdocumentation that they have applied the loan forgiveness funds to their designatededucational loan(s). This information will be verified prior to each annual disbursement. It isat the discretion of the participant to pay their loan servicer(s) with an annual lump sumpayment or make monthly payments that total the annual disbursement from ORHPC.4
Income Tax ReportingLoan forgiveness payments made to participants under the loan forgiveness program areconsidered exempt from federal and state income taxes. The State of Minnesota will notissue a 1099 form.Temporary Suspension of ServiceService obligations may be suspended as a result of an illness, disability or temporary jobtransfer lasting less than a total of 12 months during a three- or four-year commitment. Allrequests for temporary suspension of service must be in writing in advance (if known) andsubstantiated by documentation deemed acceptable and approved by the state on a case-bycase basis. The agreement end date will be extended by the amount of time a participant isin suspension status. Suspensions cannot exceed 12 months.Penalty for Non-fulfillmentIf a participant does not fulfill the minimum obligation of the program, i.e., the requiredminimum years of practice in an underserved community, a nursing facility, or an educationalprogram in Minnesota, or if the participant cannot verify that program funds were spenttowards approved student loans, the participant will be required to repay the total amountpreviously received plus interest, at a rate established according to Minnesota Statutes270C.40.In the event a recipient accepts funding from the Nursing Facility Employee ScholarshipProgram administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, as defined inMinnesota Statute 256B.431, Subdivision 36, during participation with the MDH Nurse LoanForgiveness Program, the recipient will be subject to Penalty for Non-fulfillment and will berequired to pay back all funds received from the Nurse Loan Forgiveness program plusinterest.To Apply:1. Go to the Grants Portal (https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey mdh )2. Click ‘Create an Account’ **Please note that the language for creating an accountin the system is currently targeted towards organizations, not individuals. There arenotes along the way to help you complete the form as an individual vs. anorganization.3. Once you have created an account, you will be taken to the Grants Portal where youwill be able to do the online application. The application and supporting documentsare all submitted in the portal. You can save the application at any time and comeback to finish later. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once the application issubmitted.Application ChecklistThe application must include the following supporting documents. Incomplete applicationswill not be fully scored and may not be considered for an award. Complete application (include license number in appropriate section)5
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) that describes and details your educationalbackground, healthcare training and clinical experiences. Include any volunteerexperience, and diverse communities or populations served. Specify length of time,location, your capacity and other details of all personal and professional health careexperiences and training. Reference Letters (minimum of 2 required). Enter the email address of someone whois able to provide a professional letter of reference and support.Example-Co-workers that are your direct reports or peers/equals, parents, friends,clergy and/or classmates are not acceptable for references. Also not acceptable arereferences from CFO, COO, CEO, or Human Resources personnel unless theseindividuals directly supervises & evaluates your clinical practice or teaching.Example-Professors, preceptors, clinical supervisors, co-workers who are not yourdirect reports or your peer/equal are acceptable.For private practice applicants, a letter from a fellow colleague is also acceptable.Reference letters should detail how you will satisfy unmet health care needs, yourcommitment to service, and a description of the service area and population.At least one letter of reference needs to be completed by a professional who hasdirectly supervised or trained you. Essay Response describing how you as a health care provider or educator have ties tothe community, have an understanding of why the patient population is underserved,will address access to health care issues, and how your experiences will change healthcare outcomes of the patient population you or your students will be serving. Copy of most current Student Loan Servicer Statement(s) showing outstandingbalanceHelpful Hints:1) We recommend that you bookmark the Grants Portal for ease of access.2) Please remove the following email: 'MN Department of Health' from your spamfilters to ensure you receive emails from the system.3) Your internet browser should be updated to the most recent version for anoptimal system experience. (Internet Explorer version 11, for example)Tutorials & HelpClick on the following links for short videos on creating an account, applying forfunding, or managing your applicant dashboard, or click here for detailed writteninstructions on these topics.Not Sure? Please contact Health.LoanForgiveness@state.mn.us f or questions.6
LICSW Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (master's or doctoral degree in social work, LGSW not eligible ) PNS Psychiatric Nurse Specialists /Nurse Practitioners . LPCC Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (master's or doctoral degree with a . i. Exceptions: Within the seven county metro politan area, the cities of .
