R434-40-9. Loan Repayment Grant Eligibility and Selection

(1) In selecting a recipient for a loan repayment grant award, the department shall evaluate each applicant based on: (a) the applicant's: (i) ability and willingness to provide care, regardless of a patient's ability to pay; (ii) academic standing; (iii) achieving an early match with an approved site; (iv) board certification or eligibility; (v) financial need; (vi) peer recommendations; (vii) postgraduate training achievements; (viii) prior professional or personal experience serving in an underserved area; (ix) willingness to serve patients who are without insurance or who are insured by government programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP; and (x) other demonstrable facts that establish the applicant's professional competence or conduct; (b) the applicant's commitment to serve in an underserved area, demonstrated through: (i) work or volunteer experience at: (A) a community or migrant health center; (B) a geriatric clinic; (C) a homeless shelter; (D) a public health department clinic; or (E) any other service commitment to a medically underserved population; (ii) work or educational experience with a geriatric or medically underserved population through AmeriCorps VISTA, the Peace Corps, or a similar volunteer agency; (iii) language skills essential for the provision of health care services to a medically underserved population; (iv) any other demonstrable fact or experience that establishes the applicant's commitment to serve in an underserved area; and (v) the availability of the applicant to begin service, with the department giving greater consideration to an applicant available for earlier service dates; and (c) the approved site's need for a healthcare professional who has training in the applicant's health care specialty; (2) To be considered eligible for a loan repayment grant, an applicant must: (a) apply for the grant within 18 months of the start of an applicant's employment at an approved site; and (b) be a United States citizen or permanent resident. (3) The applicant shall submit a written commitment from the health care facility employing the applicant that the facility will provide the employer contribution in an amount equal to 20% of the loan repayment grant amount awarded by the department. (4) The department may give priority to an applicant working at a publicly funded site.