National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment

FY2025 Since its inception in 1972, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has worked to support qualified health care providers dedicated to working in underserved communities in urban, rural, and tribal areas. Across the nation, NHSC clinicians serve patients in HPSAs – communities with limited access to health care. As of September 30, 2025 there were 8,207 primary care HPSAs, 7,254 dental HPSAs, and 6,604 mental health HPSAs. The NHSC seeks clinicians who demonstrate a commitment to serve the Nation’s medically underserved populations at NHSC-approved sites located in HPSAs. NHSC-approved sites provide care to individuals regardless of ability to pay; currently, there are over 22,650 NHSC-approved sites. Eligible sites include Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and FQHC Look-Alikes, American Indian and Native Alaska health clinics, rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals and hospitals managed or owned by the Indian Health Service (IHS), school-based clinics, mobile units, free clinics, community mental health centers, state or local health departments, community outpatient facilities, federal facilities such as the Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, IHS, and private practices. In particular, the NHSC has partnered closely with HRSA-supported FQHCs to help meet their staffing needs. Over 60 percent of NHSC clinicians serve in Health Centers around the nation, and 15 percent of clinical staff at FQHCs are NHSC clinicians. The NHSC also places clinicians in other community-based systems of care that serve underserved populations, targeting HPSAs of greatest need. As of September 30, 2025 there are more than 18,500 primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health practitioners – the largest cohort ever -- serving in the NHSC across nearly 22,650 approved sites across the United States under the NHSC LRPs covered under this document.