National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

Applicant Information Bulletin 2007-2008

DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination, under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulations (45 Code of Federal Regulations Part 86) provide that no per-son in the United States shall, based on his/her sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, provides that no otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of his/her handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 
NOTICE 
Applicants selected to participate in the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program should retain this Applicant Information Bulletin as a reference guide to the scholarship award. The Applicant Information Bulletin describes the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Pro-gram authorized by Sections 331 through 338A and 338C through 338H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S. Code 254d-l and 254m-q), as amended by Public Law 101-251 on October 26, 2002, and implemented by Federal Regulations (Title 42 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 23 and 62) and administrative guidelines in effect as of December 2005. Future changes in the governing statute, the implementing regulations, and Program guidelines may also be applicable to your participation in this Program. The National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program is listed as number 93.288 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions

										OMB No. 0915-0146
										Expiration Date:

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program
Academic Year 2007-2008

Public Burden Statement:  An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.   The OMB control number for this project is 0915-0146.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average one hour per respondent for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10-33, Rockville, Maryland, 20857.

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
ACADEMIC YEAR 2007-2008

FOR STUDENTS IN TRAINING TO BE ALLOPATHIC AND OSTEOPATHIC
PHYSICIANS, DENTISTS, CERTIFIED NURSE-MIDWIVES, CERTIFIED FAMILY NURSE
PRACTITIONERS, AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

 	APPLICANT INFORMATION BULLETIN 	
 	INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION 	
 	GLOSSARY OF TERMS	
    	SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DEADLINES	
	VERIFICATIONS  (For School Use Only) 	
 	AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE INFORMATON 	

		

		
DECEMBER 2006 
Health Resources and Services Administration
Bureau of Health Professions
Division of National Health Service Corps
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8A-55
Rockville, Maryland 20857

For inquiries specific to the application process for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
Scholarship Program, contact:

Division of National Health Service Corps
NHSC Scholarship Program
c/o Discovery Logic
1375 Piccard Drive, Suite 325
Rockville, Maryland 20850
1-800-638-0824
Email Address: nhsc@discoverylogic.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPLICANT INFORMATION BULLETIN: 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR

INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................5

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY .................................................................................6

SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION....................................................................9
SELECTION CRITERIA AND FUNDING PRIORITIES ...................................10
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS ............................................................................12
DEFERMENTS FOR POST-DEGREE ADVANCED TRAINING ....................16
FULFILLING THE SERVICE COMMITMENT .................................................18
DEFAULTING ON THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITMENT...............................21
WAIVER, SUSPENSION, OR CANCELLATION OF THE COMMITMENT.....22
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION ..........................23
GLOSSARY OF TERMS ................................................................................28
IMPORTANT DEADLINES.............................................................................30
VERIFICATIONS............................................................................................31

AUTHORIZATION LETTER...........................................................................33

BUREAU OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS 
MISSION: The mission of the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) is to improve the health status of the population by providing national leadership in the development, distribution and retention of a diverse, culturally competent health workforce that provides the highest quality care for all. 
INTRODUCTION
Program Purpose 
The United States Congress has charged the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) with the responsibility for alleviating the geographic maldistribution of primary care physicians and other health practitioners in the United States. 
The NHSC Scholarship Program is mandated by Congress to supply the NHSC with health care professionals trained in those disciplines and specialties most needed to deliver quality primary health care services in health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) through-out the United States as designated by the Secretary. 
The NHSC Scholarship Program is not a general financial assistance program for students of health related disciplines; rather, it provides the NHSC with the committed health professionals it needs to carry out its mission of providing primary health care to HPSA populations in areas of greatest need. 
National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program Profile 
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program is a competitive Federal program, which awards scholarships to students pursuing primary care health professions training. 
The scholarship consists of payment for tuition, fees, other reasonable educational costs, and a monthly support stipend. In return, the students agree to pro-vide 1 year of service in the HPSA of greatest need to which they are assigned for each school year or partial school year of scholarship support received, with a minimum 2-year service commitment, maximum 4-year commitment. 
NHSC scholarship recipients are required to fulfill their NHSC service commitment at HPSA locations selected by the NHSC, anywhere in the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Common-wealth of the Northern Marianas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Territory of American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia. 
For the 2007-2008 academic year, scholarships will be available for students pursuing primary health care training leading to a degree in allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, or dentistry, and education leading to a degree as a family nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife or physician assistant. 
The scholarship recipient’s service commitment will be fulfilled either as a non-Federal employee, as a commissioned officer of the Regular or Reserve Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), or as a civilian employee of the U.S. Government. It should be noted that approximately 92% of scholars fulfill their commitments as non-Federal employees of public or private entities such as community and migrant health centers, health departments, and other non-Federal entities. Also note that the remaining 8% of scholars serve as Federal employees at HPSA sites in the Indian Health Service, the medical facilities of the Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 
Students who are uncertain of their commitment to primary health care practice in HPSAs throughout the United States or who are unable to relocate based on the needs of the NHSC are advised not to participate in this program. Medical students (osteopathic and allopathic) who are unsure about their future specialty interests or who are unable to commit them-selves to complete specialty training in one of the approvable primary care residencies specified in this Bulletin are advised not to apply for the NHSC scholarship. 

Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) 
A HPSA is a geographic area, a facility, or a population group, which has been determined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to have a shortage of health professionals. HPSAs are identified on the basis of agency or individual requests for designation. Information considered when designating a primary care HPSA includes health practitioner-to-population ratios, rates of poverty, and access to available primary health services. Service commitments to the NHSC may be satisfied ONLY in those HPSAs with the greatest need at the time of assignment, as determined by the Division of National Health Service Corps. 
Program Administration 
The Division of National Health Service Corps (DNHSC), Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) administers the Scholarship Program. The DNHSC awards the scholarships, monitors scholars while in school and in deferment for advanced training, identifies appropriate service sites, assists scholars in securing employment at one of the eligible sites at the completion of their training, reviews and approves requests for transfers, and monitors scholars’ service until they have completed their service commitment. The Legal and Compliance Branch, Office of Workforce Evaluation and Quality Assurance, assists scholars in staying in compliance and reviews requests for suspensions and waivers. 
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for scholarship awards. 
U.S. Citizenship 
Scholarship applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States to receive NHSC scholarship awards. Applicants who were born outside of the United States must submit documentation to verify 
U.S. citizenship or nationality (see Instructions for Completing Application). 
Full-time Enrollment in Fully Accredited Schools and Programs (Note: Program must be fully accredited by April 2007). 
To be considered for a scholarship award for the 2007-2008 academic year, applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as full-time students, and begin classes on or before January 2, 2008. Please be advised that any non-required or unrelated courses will not count toward the schools required hours in determining full-time status. The following is a listing of acceptable schools/programs.      

	(1)	A school of allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine, pursuing the M.D. or D.O. degree, fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges) or the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. 
	(2)	A school of dentistry, pursuing the D.D.S. or 

D.M.D. degree, fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. 
(3)	A school or program of family nurse practitioner (FNP) education pursuing a master's degree, or post-master's certificate, fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Ac-crediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and leading to national certification as a family nurse practitioner by either the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 
(4)	A school or program of nurse-midwifery (NM) education pursuing a master's degree, or post-master's certificate, fully accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and leading to national certification by the ACNM. 

PLEASE NOTE: The NHSC Scholarship Program WILL NOT provide scholarship support for those students who are enrolled in nursing Bridge Programs (e.g. RN-MSN, BSN-MSN, Direct Entry or Entry to Practice Programs) or who are pursuing a doctoral degree in nursing. 
(5)	A school or program of primary care physician assistant (PA) education where the applicant will 1) graduate from a full 4-year baccalaureate PA training program with a bachelor's, or 2) graduate from a certificate, post-baccalaureate certificate, associate or master’s degree PA training program of at least 12 months, and demonstrate a broad background knowledge of the medical environment, practices, and procedures, e.g., as would be acquired by having, prior to enrollment in the PA training program, a) a bachelor's degree in a health care occupation such as nursing, medical technology, or physical therapy, or b) 3 years of responsible and progressive health care experience as a medical corpsman, nursing assistant or medical technician. 
Physician Assistant applicants pursuing an associate or master’s degree or a certificate who do not 
have a bachelor's degree in nursing, medical technology or physical therapy must submit, by March 31, 2007, a resume outlining related health care education and work experience (including periods of employment and number of hours worked per week). 
The PA training program must be accredited (pro-visional, initial or continuing) by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant and the affiliated school must be accredited by a U.S. Department of Education nationally recognized regional or State institutional accrediting agency. The PA training program must lead to national certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. 
PLEASE NOTE: Students who are in the “pre-professional” phase (e.g., taking undergraduate course work as a prerequisite for admission to the PA training pro-gram) or who are in PA programs specializing in areas other than primary care (e.g., PA programs with a surgical or emergency room focus) ARE NOT eligible for NHSC scholarship funding. 
ALL STUDENTS – PLEASE NOTE: The NHSC Scholar-ship Program WILL NOT provide scholarship support for any joint programs that provide dual degrees in the above-listed disciplines (e.g., a joint program leading to a dual FNP/CNM degree, etc). 
ALL STUDENTS – PLEASE NOTE: As scholarship recipients are required to serve areas of greatest need throughout the country, each applicant is responsible for ensuring that his or her professional program and type of degree will lead to broad eligibility for licensure in multiple States. 
Masters of Public Health 
The NHSC Scholarship Program DOES NOT pay for a Masters of Public Health (MPH), alone or in combination with any approved degree program. If a student receives a one-year leave-of-absence from school to pursue an MPH, all scholarship support during that year will be discontinued. If a student decides to pursue an integrated MPH program, the NHSC Scholar-ship Program will not pay for the MPH course work and will only count the course work required for the scholarship-supported degree to determine full-time status, which may result in scholarship support being discontinued. 
Schools and Programs Must be Located in the U.S. 
The schools and educational programs for which scholarship support is requested must be in a State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Students attending schools outside of these geographic areas are not eligible for NHSC scholarships, even though they may be citizens of the United States. 
Eligibility for Federal Employment 
Most NHSC Scholarship Program recipients should expect to serve their commitments as salaried non-Federal employees of public or private entities approved by the NHSC for the assignment of members of the NHSC. However, there may be vacancies which re-quire Federal employment. In view of the potential for Federal employment, an applicant must be eligible to hold an appointment as a commissioned officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps of the PHS or be eligible for a Federal civil service appointment. 

Submission of Authorization to Release Information Letter 
To be eligible for an NHSC scholarship award, the applicant must complete, sign and return to the NHSC the Authorization to Release Information Letter en-closed in the back of this Bulletin. The NHSC Scholar-ship Program requires that all applicants submit the Authorization to Release Information Letter in order for the NHSC Scholarship Program to receive enrollment information from the applicant's school. 
Submission of Signed Contract 
To be eligible for an NHSC scholarship, the stat-ute requires that an applicant sign and submit a con-tract with the application. The contract is located in the back of this Bulletin. 
The contract is for the 2007-2008 school year with optional contracts for up to 3 subsequent school years. The 2007-2008 contract, if countersigned by the DNHSC, obligates the applicant to the minimum 2-year service commitment. Therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to sign the 2007-2008 contract and an optional contract for the 2008-2008 school year, if the applicant will need additional support for all or part of the next school year (2008-2008). The contract must be signed through the student's date of graduation in order for the student to receive sup-port through the date of graduation. Before an applicant decides not to request scholarship support through his/her graduation date, the applicant should read the “Continuing Support after the 2007-2008 School Year” section of this Bulletin. 
Free of Federal Judgment Liens 
Applicants who have a court judgment entered against them for a debt owed to the United States which creates a lien against their property are precluded from receiving Federal funds (including an NHSC Scholarship Program award), until the judgment lien has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied. A State court judgment relating to a Federal debt will also disqualify an applicant. The Application for Participation includes a certification that the applicant is free of such a judgment lien against his/her property. 
Delinquency on a Federal Debt 
The application also includes a certification that the applicant is not delinquent on repayment of any Federal debt. A Federal debt includes debts arising from Federal taxes, Federal loans, federally guaranteed or insured loans such as student or home mort-gage loans, an overpayment of Federal benefits and any other debt owed to the Federal Government. An applicant is considered delinquent on a Federal debt if he or she has ever been more than 31 days past due on a scheduled payment. Delinquent applicants will not be selected for scholarships regardless of circumstances. 
No Conflicting Service Commitments 
Applicants who are already obligated to a Federal, State, or other entity for professional practice or service after academic training are not eligible for NHSC scholarship awards. An exception may be made if the obligating entity provides documentation that there is no conflict in fulfilling the service commitment to the NHSC Scholarship Program and that the NHSC Scholarship Program service commitment will be served first. 
A scholarship recipient who meets the above exception should not expect to be assigned for service in a State, community, or medical facility to which the recipient already owes a commitment for service. The national staffing needs of the NHSC preclude any such advance placement commitments to NHSC Scholarship Program recipients. 
Scholarship recipients, except military reservists, who subsequently enter other service commitments, or who otherwise are not immediately available after completion of their degrees or authorized deferments to fulfill their scholarship service commitments, will be subject to the breach-of-contract provisions de-scribed later in this Bulletin. 
Members of a Reserve Component of the Armed Forces 
Individuals in the Reserve component of the Armed Forces or National Guard are eligible to participate in the NHSC Scholarship Program. However, reservists should understand the following: 
First, the placement opportunities for reservists may be limited by the NHSC, in order to minimize the negative impact that a deployment would have on the vulnerable populations served by the NHSC. For ex-ample, the NHSC would not approve placement of a reservist as the sole provider at a clinic that would be forced to close if the reservist were deployed. 
Second, military training or service performed by reservists will not satisfy the NHSC service commitment. If a participant's military training and/or service, in combination with the participant's other absences from the service site, exceed 7 weeks (49 calendar days) per service year, the NHSC service commitment end date will be extended to compensate for the break in NHSC service. See discussion of “Full-Time Clinical Practice" in this Bulletin. 
Third, if the site where the reservist was serving at the time of his/her deployment is unable to re-employ that reservist, the NHSC will reassign the participant to another service site to complete his/her remaining NHSC service commitment. In some cases, a participant may be asked to sign an employment con-tract, which extends beyond the completion date of his/her NHSC service commitment. 

SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION

In order to be eligible for an NHSC scholarship 		The deadline for submitting the verification of 	
award, the documentation mentioned below must be 		acceptance/verification of good standing report 	
received by the NHSC or be postmarked on or before 		or letter is: 	
the following deadlines. No extensions on the follow-		—March 31, 2007, for allopathic, osteopathic 	
ing deadlines will be granted. 		and dental students; and 	
• Application with Supporting Documents 		—July 1, 2007, for family nurse practitioner, 	
The deadline for submitting the NHSC Scholar-		nurse-midwife, and physician assistant students. 	
ship Application for Participation is March 31, 	• 	Authorization to Release Information Letter 	
2007. 		The deadline for submitting the Authorization to 	
• Verification of Acceptance/Verification of Good 		Release Information Letter is March 31, 2007, 	
Standing 		for all NHSC scholarship applicants. 	

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible. Early submission allows the program to review applications and send out notification letters identifying any missing documents. The notification letters will afford the applicant the opportunity to submit any missing documents and/or make any necessary corrections to his or her file, prior to the applicable deadlines. The NHSC Scholarship Pro-gram will stop mailing notification letters two weeks prior to the March 31, 2007 deadline. 
Verification of Acceptance/Verification of Good Standing 
No applicant will receive an award unless and until he or she is enrolled or accepted for full-time enrollment in a fully accredited program during the 2007-2008 school year (applicant must begin classes on or before January 2, 2008). Within the established dead-lines set forth above, each applicant is required to submit a report or letter from the program verifying his or her acceptance or good standing. Applicants are encouraged to use the Verification of Acceptance Report or the Verification of Good Standing Report in the back of this Bulletin. The verification reports must bear the training institution's raised seal. If a letter is submitted in lieu of the reports, the letter must be on the school's letterhead, bear the training institution's seal, and address each of the 10 items outlined in this Bulletin, under the directions for “Verification of Acceptance/Verification of Good Standing.” 
Applicants who have not been accepted for enrollment at the time of submitting the application must indicate on the application only one school or program they anticipate attending, and the verification of acceptance letter or report must be received by the established deadlines listed above. 
If the applicant's choice of school changes, the applicant must notify the NHSC Scholarship Program in writing and submit a verification of acceptance/verification of good standing report or letter from the new school. 
If the applicant's choice of program/discipline changes, the applicant must notify the NHSC Scholarship Program in writing and submit a verification of acceptance/verification of good standing report or letter from the new program. 
All school and discipline changes must be submitted by July 1, 2007. If the school or discipline change is submitted after July 1, 2007, the NHSC Scholarship Program may not have the scholarship funds to pay for an increase in the tuition, fees and other reasonable educational costs for a school not indicated on the Original Notice of Award Letter issued by the Program. 
If the verification of acceptance/verification of good standing report states that there are conditions (not yet fulfilled) for acceptance into the school and/ or program, applicants will not be eligible for consideration for an award for the 2007-2008 school year, unless all contingencies or conditions for acceptance are removed in writing by the school prior to the applicable deadline for enrollment verification. 
All documentation must be received in our office or be postmarked by the applicable deadline. FAXES OR PHOTOCOPIES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. 
Using Current Application Packet 
Application packets may be obtained from the web or from the NHSC Scholarship Program, c/o Discovery Logic, 1375 Piccard Drive, Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20850; telephone: 800-638-0824. Also, application packets for 2007-2008 scholarship awards may be obtained from the financial aid or program director's office serving any fully accredited medical, dental, family nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, or physician assistant pro-gram in the United States. 
Students who have submitted applications to the NHSC Scholarship Program in past years and who did not receive or accept an award must complete a new application and compete with all other applicants.

SELECTION CRITERIA AND FUNDING PRIORITIES

The NHSC Scholarship Program for the 2007-2008 school year is very competitive; the Program anticipates more applicants for scholarship awards than there are funds available. Students are advised to apply for other funding sources also, due to the competitiveness of the NHSC Scholarship Program. 
This section describes the factors that will be considered in approving applications for participation in the NHSC Scholarship Program. The applications of individuals who meet the eligibility criteria are scored numerically. 
Applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or whose scores do not fall within the competitive range will be notified of non-selection. 
The program cannot guarantee any practice site opportunities or selection preferences. 
Selection Criteria 
The NHSC Scholarship Program will consider well-prepared applicants who demonstrate a commitment to serve, geographic flexibility and a strong interest in providing primary health care to the underserved populations nationally, based on information provided in the application. Please remember that all applicants who demonstrate a high potential for providing quality primary health care may not receive a scholarship award due to limited funding. 
Applicants who do not demonstrate a high potential for providing primary health care in designated shortage areas will not be selected for a scholarship award. 
Funding Priorities for the 2007-2008 Academic Year 
Applications that demonstrate the applicants’ high potential for providing primary health care services will be competitively evaluated and scored. The following statutory priorities for funding will be applied: 
FIRST PRIORITY 
A.	Former NHSC Scholarship Recipients 
Former NHSC Scholarship Program recipients who are seeking support for the 2007-2008 academic year, or through their date of graduation; 
B.	Recipients of Federal Scholarship Program for Students of Exceptional Financial Need (EFN) (Medical Students Only) 
Applicants who have received a Scholarship for Students of Exceptional Financial Need under former section 736 of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 293) qualify for a funding priority. Applicants claiming EFN status must submit by March 31, 2007, written documentation from their school's financial aid official of their current or former participation in the EFN Program. 
SECOND PRIORITY 
Applicants with HPSA Retention Characteristics 
Applications will be scored numerically based on the extent to which the applicants appear to have characteristics that increase the probability they will continue to practice in HPSAs after they have completed their service commitments. These characteristics include: 
	(a) Strong primary care post-service career goals in HPSAs; 
	(b) Experience within indigent or underserved communities; 
	(c) Understanding and acceptance of the mission of the NHSC; and 
	(d) Intent to participate in pre-professional clinical experiences in rural or urban community-based health care facilities serving HPSAs. Settings for such experiences may include community health centers, migrant health centers, Indian Health Service Centers and Hospitals, Bureau of Prisons health facilities, AIDS outpatient clinics, drug abuse treatment centers, clinics for the homeless, or family practice clinical settings outside of a hospital. 

THIRD PRIORITY 
Applicants From Disadvantaged Backgrounds 
Applicants who have the HPSA retention characteristics and who also are certified as having come from “disadvantaged backgrounds'” will be selected for awards before those who are not certified as disadvantaged. 
	(a)	For Medical and Dental Students: Applicants' schools must certify that the applicants participated in, or would have been eligible for participation in, Federal programs such as “Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students" and “Loans to Disadvantaged Students." 
	(b)	For Nursing and Physician Assistant Students: Their schools must certify that the applicants participated in, or would have been eligible for participation in, Federal programs such as “Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students” or the benefits of the “Nursing Workforce Diversity Grants.” 

Applicants who wish to claim “disadvantaged background" should submit with their applications a written statement from the student financial aid administrator certifying their participation in, or eligibility for participation in, a qualifying Federal program. 
For information about programs for disadvantaged students, visit the website http://www. bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/weblinks. 
Notification of Selection/Acceptance of Award 
Individuals selected for awards (selectees) will be notified by letter, as early as August 1, 2007 and no later than September 30, 2007. Information on how to obtain the Direct Deposit and W-4 forms will be provided in the notice of award letter. To accept this award, the selectee must submit completed and signed Direct Deposit and W-4 forms to the NHSC Scholar-ship Program (faxes are acceptable) by the deadline date specified in the notice of award letter. If the completed Direct Deposit and W-4 forms are not received by the NHSC Scholarship Program by the deadline date in the notice of award letter, the offer of award terminates, and the award will be offered to an alternate. 
Individuals selected for an award must attend classes during the 2007-2008 school year and that class attendance must begin on or before January 2, 2008. Individuals, whose class attendance during the 2007-2008 school year will begin after January 2, 2008, MUST decline the award. Please note that the ranking of selectees WILL NOT be disclosed. 
Notification of Alternate Status 
Individuals selected as alternates will be notified by letter, as early as August 1, 2007, and no later than September 30, 2007. Alternates will be notified of se-lection as selectees decline their awards. Please note that the ranking order of alternates WILL NOT be disclosed. 
Notification of Non-Selection 
Individuals whose application scores did not fall within the competitive range to be considered as an NHSC scholarship selectee or alternate will be notified no later than September 30, 2007. 
New Scholars Conference 
Individuals awarded the NHSC scholarship will be expected to attend the “Enhancing Your Scholarship Today: Maximizing Your Service Tomorrow” Conference held in October or November 2007 in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Maryland metro area (specific date and location to be determined). 
Declining Scholarship Support 
Selectees may decline awards without penalty (permitting the promotion of alternates to selectee status) by:   1) failing to submit completed and signed Direct Deposit and W-4 forms to the NHSC Scholarship Program by the deadline date specified in the notice of award, or  2) mailing or faxing a signed letter declining the award offer, with the reason for declination, to the NHSC Scholarship Program by the deadline date specified in the notice of award letter.   Telephone declinations will not be accepted.
Once a selectee declines the offer of award, the award will be offered to an alternate. There will be no opportunity to reclaim the award. A decision to decline the scholarship award is final and cannot be changed under any circumstances. 
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
The NHSC Scholarship Program financial benefits depend on the availability of funds appropriated by the Congress of the United States and approved by the President for the 2007 fiscal year. 
Awards Limited to 4 School Years 
Scholarship awards will be granted for no more than 4 school years which includes any partial year of funding received during the school year. All awards to students (including students in Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery, and Physician Assistant Pro-grams) are based on a 1-year, 12-month period. The school year is defined as July 1 through the following June 30. Students may not receive full funding for each school year of their program, to the extent their course work does not coincide with the NHSC Scholarship Program’s definition of school year.  

Commencement and End of Scholarship Support 
Participation in the NHSC Scholarship Program becomes effective when the Director, DNHSC (the designee of the Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services) signs the applicant's contract. 
NEW APPLICANTS MUST BE ABLE TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THEMSELVES UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER. The first scholarship payment should be received in the applicant’s banking account by the 7th of November. The end of scholarship sup-port will be the month that the scholar completes the required classes for graduation or June 30, whichever comes first. The NHSC Scholarship Program cannot make payment to scholars when they are not enrolled or attending classes on a full-time basis. 
Distance Learning Programs 
Individuals who are participating in distance learning programs are advised that they may not receive full funding for each year of their program, to the extent that their course work does not coincide with the NHSC Scholarship Program's definition of school year (running from July 1 through June 30). Also, the NHSC Scholarship Program will not pay for any penalty or additional distance learning fees that are incurred for not completing the course load in the required time frame. 
Payment of Tuition & Required Fees 
The NHSC Scholarship Program will pay tuition and required fees directly to the school, subject to limitations set forth below. Should a participant be taking classes at more than one school, please be advised that the NHSC Scholarship Program cannot make payment to more than one school. 
The NHSC Scholarship Program will not pay for any increased tuition rates or required fees for the year that may be reported by the school after June 6, 2007. The program will not pay tuition and fees for any portion of a school term prior to July 1, 2007. If a recipient changes schools, the recipient must notify the NHSC Scholarship Program in writing and submit another report or letter verifying acceptance from the new school by July 1, 2007. See “Verification of Acceptance/Verification of Good Standing.”  
The NHSC Scholarship Program will not pay for tuition costs unrelated to the degree program, penalty fees for over extension of a distance learning program, or for membership dues for student societies, associations, loan processing fees, and similar expenses. Also, the NHSC Scholarship Program will pay ONLY for courses that are required for graduation. Elective courses, which are not a requirement for graduation, are not eligible for payment. If an applicant is unsure of what is covered by the NHSC scholarship, please contact the NHSC Scholarship Program in writing for further clarification. 
Upon receipt of an invoice for the tuition and fees required of all students, any fees on the invoice that were included in Other Reasonable Cost will not be approved for payment, as those funds are provided separately and paid directly to the scholar. Please be advised that under the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, all Federal payments must be processed through Electronic Funds Transfer/Direct Deposit. Therefore, all educational institutions must have an electronic funds transfer account with our Division of Financial Operations (DFO) in order for tuition and fee payments to be made in a timely manner. 
Receipt of an NHSC scholarship award does not automatically preclude a participant from receiving
funds from other programs, as long as no service commitment is involved. However, many student assistance programs are based on the student's financial need, or may be limited to the payment of expenses already paid by the NHSC Scholarship Program. The list of NHSC Scholarship Program recipients supplied to the schools will enable the school officials to re-evaluate the financial need or eligibility of these individuals for funds under other aid programs. When continuation of financial assistance is not warranted, the school is required to reduce or terminate payments. Applicants should contact their financial aid officers to determine how the receipt of an NHSC scholarship may affect them. Tuition and fees already paid by another program should not be submitted to the NHSC for payment unless reimbursement will be made to the funding source. 
Other Reasonable Costs (ORC) 
The NHSC Scholarship Program will make ORC payments to include expenses for required books, clinical supplies, laboratory expenses, instruments, two sets of uniforms, graduation fees (if applicable), computer/PDA rental or purchase (only if required of all students) and travel expenses for one clinical rotation. The ORC is based on estimated costs submitted by the educational institution. For new awardees, the ORC will be paid with the first stipend payment (received by the first week of November). The ORC payment covers the school year and the student must budget funds received accordingly. 
The payment made to the scholarship recipient may or may not meet the total expenses required by the school. 
Individual vouchers or receipts for expenses will not be honored.

Stipend Amount 
During the 2007-2008 academic year, the NHSC Scholarship Program will pay a stipend of $1,157 (before Federal taxes) directly to each recipient at the end of each month. The first payment for new awardees will include the stipends retroactive to July 1, if the scholar has started classes on or before January 2, 2008, and the payment for Other Reasonable Costs. 
Receipt of the monthly stipend payment does not mean that the student is employed by the Federal Government or participates in any of the benefits available to Federal employees. 

Method of Payment
DIRECT DEPOSIT IS MANDATORY. All stipend and Other Reasonable Cost payments are paid directly to the student's financial institution through direct de-posit. Information about how to obtain the direct deposit form (Standard Form 1199A) will be included in the Notice of Award Letter for new scholarship recipients. Any change in financial institution or account information will require submission of a new direct deposit form. Do not close the old account until the first payment in the new account is received to insure that there is no delay in payment. 
Taxation of the NHSC Scholarship 
ONLY THE MONTHLY STIPEND PAYMENTS made to scholars under the NHSC scholarship are taxable. 
Information on how to obtain an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-4 will be provided to new scholarship recipients with the Notice of Award Letter for the 2007-2008 academic year. The information pro-vided on the W-4 form will be used to determine withholding of Federal taxes on the stipend portion of the scholarship. Students who want additional funds deducted from the stipend amount should indicate the additional amount to be deducted on the appropriate line on the W-4 form. We advise students to consult their local tax authority regarding State or local taxes for which they may be liable, as State and local in-come taxes will not be withheld. It is the responsibility of the scholarship recipient to arrange for the payment of any additional Federal, State, and local taxes that may be owed. 
Treasury Offset Program 
Under the Treasury Offset Program, the Treasury Department is authorized to offset a student's NHSC scholarship payments, if the student becomes delinquent on a Federal debt after entering the NHSC Scholarship Program. In addition, the Treasury Department is authorized to offset NHSC scholarship payments for application to the student's State debts, including delinquent child support payments. 
Child Support Obligation 
In keeping with the President's Executive Orders concerning compliance with child support orders, the NHSC Scholarship Program is stressing the importance of honoring any child support obligation an applicant may have. 
Termination of Contract 
The Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, may terminate an NHSC Scholarship Pro-gram Contract for a school year if the recipient, on or before June 1 of that school year: 1) submits a writ-ten request to terminate his or her contract for that school year and 2) repays all amounts paid to, or on behalf of that recipient for that school year. If a scholarship recipient does not meet these requirements, he or she will incur a service commitment for the full or partial year of support received, as set forth in the “Fulfilling the Service Commitment” section of this Bulletin. 
Discontinuation of Benefits 
The NHSC Scholarship Program will discontinue the payment of all benefits under the following circumstances: 
	(1)	while the recipient is on a leave of absence (for personal or medical reasons) which has been approved by the school. If you are a new awardee and you plan to take a leave of absence prior to the start of classes for the 2007-2008 school year and you will not be-gin attending classes on or before January 2, 2008, you must decline the award and reapply next year; 
	(2)	while the recipient is repeating course work which delays the recipient's graduation date. The NHSC Scholarship Program will pay tuition only for courses taken the first time. (This does not include courses taken prior to the receipt of the NHSC award.) If a student repeats a course which is taken in addition to a standard full-time course load and the repeat course work does not delay the graduation date, payment of the monthly stipend will continue, but the NHSC Scholarship Program will not pay for the course work being repeated; 
	(3)	while the recipient is enrolled in school as a less than full-time student; and 
	(4)	if the recipient withdraws or is dismissed from school. Moreover, the recipients’ withdrawal or dismissal from school is also a breach of the scholarship contract, and the recipient will be liable to repay the amount described in the “Failure to Complete Academic Training" section of this Bulletin. 

A recipient is required to notify the NHSC Scholarship Program immediately, in writing, whenever any of the following events are anticipated or expected: 1) an approved leave of absence; 2) repeat course work; 3) a decrease in credit hours in any academic term; and 4) withdrawal or dismissal from school. The NHSC Scholarship Program needs to know in advance that the above events may occur, so that timely action can be taken to discontinue payments and avoid overpayments during these periods, as required. The recipient must also submit a letter, to our office, from the school verifying that one of these events has occurred. Please be advised that if the NHSC Scholar-ship Program has any questions concerning a participant's eligibility for continued support, the NHSC Scholarship Program may delay the payment of all benefits to that participant pending clarification of the participant's eligibility status. 
Collection of Benefit Overpayments 
Scholarship Program payment(s) received by a recipient, including payment(s) made to a school on the recipient's behalf, during periods while the recipient is on an approved leave of absence, is repeating course work, or is enrolled as a part-time student, are overpayments. Overpayments may also occur due to administrative error. A participant receiving an over-payment should immediately telephone the NHSC Scholarship Program and follow-up in writing to make arrangements to promptly return all overpayment(s) to avoid interest accrual and debt collection procedures. 
Debt collection procedures include sending delinquent overpayments to a debt collection agency, reporting the overpayments to credit reporting agencies, offsetting Federal income tax refunds to collect the overpayments, and referral of the overpayments to the Department of Justice for enforced collection. For recipients who receive subsequent funding under the NHSC Scholarship Program, the overpayments may be collected through administrative offset. The NHSC Scholarship Program may withhold scholarship funds payable to, or on behalf of, the recipient (including stipends, ORC, and, if necessary, tuition payments) until the overpayment owed is paid in full. 
Resumption of Benefits 
To resume benefits under existing scholarship con-tracts, the recipient must submit documentation from a school official confirming that he/she is 1) enrolled as a full-time student in courses leading to the degree for which the scholarship was awarded and 2) not repeating course work. Requests for the resumption of scholarship benefits will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Director, DNHSC, to determine the recipient's eligibility to receive continuing funds. For recipients who have not repaid overpayments received, the resumption of scholarship benefits will be subject to the administrative offset described in the above “Collection of Benefit Overpayments” section of this Bulletin. For recipients whose benefits were discontinued due to their withdrawal or dismissal from school, benefits will not be resumed. 
See “Failure to Complete Academic Training,” section of this Bulletin. 
Effect on Veterans Benefits 
Educational benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (G.I. Bill) continue along with NHSC funds, since these benefits were earned by prior active duty in a uniformed service. 
Graduating Off-Cycle 
All NHSC scholarship contracts are for a specific school year. Under the NHSC Scholarship Program, all school years run from July 1 through June 30. If a student is in a 24-month program, which begins on August 3, 2007 and signs contracts for 2 school years, the student will receive stipend, ORC and tuition payments through June 30, 2008. Funding for the extra months of the program beyond June 30, would re-quire a request for a third year of scholarship funding and, if granted, obligates the recipient to 3 full years of service commitment. If a student is in a 24-month program, which begins on May 3, 2007 and signs contracts for 2 school years, the student will receive stipend, ORC and tuition payments from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 or the month that the recipient completes the required classes for graduation, whichever comes first. 
Continuing Support after the 2007-2008 School Year 
The NHSC Scholarship Program award and con-tract will be for the 2007-2008 school year and additional school years (Optional Contracts) requested by the applicant and agreed to by the Secretary as indicated on the signed contracts. Support will be paid for the years agreed to in the contracts, provided the student is enrolled full-time in eligible academic courses leading to the degree for which he/she was funded and is not repeating course work. 
If a student signs a contract for only 1 year of support (2007-2008 school year), his/her scholarship support will be terminated as of June 30, 2008. Should this student decide that he/she would like additional scholarship support for the next school year (2008-2008) and any subsequent school years through graduation, the student must submit a report/letter verifying his/her good standing and a signed contract for that school year (and, if desired, Optional Contracts for subsequent school years through graduation — up to the maximum of 4 school years of support). Please be advised that since a recipient will incur a minimum 2-year service commitment, it may be in the best interest of the student to sign contracts for 2 years of support, if the student will need scholarship support for all or part of the 2008-2008 school year. The verification of good standing report and the signed contract(s) must be received by March 31 of the year in which support would be continued. For example, if a scholar wanted support for the 2008-2008 school year, the materials must be received by March 31, 2008. 
The granting of continuation awards depends upon 1) the availability of funds for the NHSC Scholarship Program, 2) the current or former participant's continued eligibility to participate in the NHSC Scholarship Program (e.g., the student must be enrolled full-time in academic courses leading to the degree for which he/she was funded and must not be repeating course work), and 3) the current or former participant's compliance with procedures established by the NHSC Scholarship Program for requesting continued support. 
If a continuation award is granted, the first payment may not be received until the 7th of November, but will include stipends retroactive to July 1, and the annual ORC payment. 
DEFERMENTS FOR POST-DEGREE ADVANCED TRAINING

For physicians (M.D. and D.O.), the service commitment will begin upon completion of an accredited residency approved by the NHSC. For dentists (D.D.S. and D.M.D.), nurse midwives, family nurse practitioners and physician assistants, the service commitment will begin upon the completion of the degree program supported by the NHSC Scholarship Program or, if applicable, upon the completion of post-degree advanced training approved by the NHSC. Upon a writ-ten request from the scholar, the NHSC will grant a deferment of service to scholarship recipients to complete post-degree advanced training (including an internship or residency); if the NHSC determines that the training is consistent with the needs of the NHSC to deliver primary health services in HPSAs. 
Deferring Service for Postgraduate Medical or Dental Education (Residency) 
During the final year of allopathic or osteopathic medical school or dental school, scholarship recipients will be sent a Deferment Information Bulletin (DIB) describing the policies and procedures for approving deferments and a Deferment Request Form (DRF) to enable them to request approval from the DNHSC for their residency plans. The NHSC Scholarship Program will review the DRF and return a copy to the scholarship recipient once the DRF has been approved. After graduation, the scholarship recipients with approved deferments will be expected to start their residency training on or about July 1. To the extent that the DIB subsequently received by the scholarship recipient may be inconsistent with this Bulletin, the DIB will take precedence. 
For allopathic and osteopathic medical students entering the NHSC Scholarship Program in the 2007-2008 school year, the approved specialties for which training deferments will be granted are: 
	family practice (3 years), 
	general internal medicine (3 years), 
	general pediatrics (3 years), 

•	obstetrics-gynecology (4 years), 
	general psychiatry (4 years), 
	internal medicine/pediatrics (4 years), 
	internal medicine/family practice (4 years), and 
	rotating internship with a request to complete one of the above specialties (D.O. only) 

Allopathic and osteopathic medical students must complete one of the NHSC-approved residencies set forth above prior to commencing service or be subject to the damages provision described later in this Bulletin. Physicians are required to use their best efforts to obtain a slot in an approvable residency program by July 1 of their graduation year, either through the residency match process or outside the match process. 
Allopathic and osteopathic medical students who are unsure about their future specialty interests or who are unable to commit themselves to complete specialty training in any of the approvable residencies specified above are advised not to apply for participation in the NHSC Scholarship Program. 
For dental students entering the NHSC Scholarship Program in the 2007-2008 school year, the approved specialties for which training deferments will be granted are: 
	general practice dentistry (1 year), and 
	pediatric dentistry (2 years) 

Dental students are encouraged, but not required, to complete one of the NHSC-approved postgraduate clinical training programs set forth above prior to commencing service. Dentists who wish to pursue specialty training other than the programs listed above are advised not to participate in the NHSC Scholar-ship Program. 
NOTE: When selecting a residency program, it is the responsibility of the scholarship recipients to research the residency programs to assure that the program 
selected will provide adequate training to enable the scholarship recipient to sit for the appropriate boards. 
Training for Which Deferments Are Not Granted 
Deferments will not be approved by the NHSC for non-primary health care programs (e.g., emergency medicine, surgery, radiology, neurology, pathology) or programs which the NHSC determines are not consistent with the needs of the NHSC to provide primary health services in HPSAs. 
Deferments will not be approved by the NHSC for postgraduate medical education conducted by a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States. Participants in such programs incur military service obligations which conflict with the service commitment required under the NHSC Scholarship Program. 
Deferments will not be approved by the NHSC for part-time residency training. 
Deferments will not be approved by the NHSC for transitional residency training. 
Please write to the NHSC if you have any questions about the service deferments the NHSC Scholarship Program will grant for postgraduate medical education. Please be advised that no fellowships will be approved by the NHSC. 
No Scholarship Payments, Service Obligation or Service Credit 
During residency and other advanced training, recipients do not receive NHSC Scholarship Program financial support nor do they incur additional NHSC Scholarship Program service commitments. 
Periods of advanced training (including residencies) are not creditable toward satisfying the scholarship service commitment, even though the training may occur in a facility located in a HPSA. 
Conditions of Deferment 
The terms and conditions of deferment require participants: 
	(1)	to pursue training which is approved for deferment by the NHSC Scholarship Program and which does not incur a conflicting service commitment; 
	(2)	to complete and return the annual Deferment Request Form, or provide equivalent evidence of approvable training, by the deadline stated in the Deferment Information Bulletin; 
	(3)	to make no change in the type or period of training without prior written approval of the NHSC Scholarship Program; and 
	(4)	to notify the NHSC Scholarship Program in writing, within 30 days, of their new mailing address and/or any changes that affect their training status. 

Scholarship recipients who, after graduation, enter training that is not approved for deferment by the NHSC Scholarship Program, or who otherwise fail to comply with the published terms and conditions of deferment, will be subject to the damages provision described later in this Bulletin. 

FULFILLING THE SERVICE COMMITMENT

NHSC Scholarship Program recipients incur 1 year of obligated service for each full or partial school year of support. The minimum service commitment is 2 years; the maximum is 4 years. Recipients are obligated to provide full-time clinical primary health care services in high need, high-priority HPSAs selected by the Secretary (or designee). 
Beginning Date of Service Commitment 
Participants who receive a deferment to complete NHSC-approved postgraduate advanced training are required to begin service as soon as possible upon expiration of the approved deferment period. (All physicians must complete an NHSC-approved residency.) Nurse midwives, family nurse practitioners, physician assistants and dentists who do not receive a deferment to complete post-degree advanced training must begin their service commitment as soon as possible after receipt of the degree for which they received support and compliance with the examination, certification and licensure requirements set forth below (see the “Licensure/Certification Required” section of this Bulletin). 
The recipient and an authorized representative of the site negotiate a start date. Start dates for physicians will ordinarily not be later than 3 months from the date the physician completes approved postgraduate training. Start dates for other participants vary based upon the individual's graduation date or the timing of their certification/licensure examination. 
Credit for service toward the NHSC scholarship commitment does not begin until: (1) the scholar passes required licensing or national certifications exams; (2) the scholar obtains a license to practice in the State where the NHSC practice site is located (un-less he or she has a license in another State and will work for a Federal entity); (3) the scholar begins to provide full-time clinical services at the NHSC practice site; and (4) if applicable, the appropriate agreement has been completed and signed by the scholar and the Secretary of Health and Human Services or designee. 
Delaying Start of Service 
Recipients with documented, extreme circum-stances which jeopardize the start of service may make a request to the Legal and Compliance Branch (LCB) to suspend their service commitments for up to 1 year. Such requests must be in writing and include a de-tailed written explanation and supporting documentation, as required by the LCB. See the “Waiver, Suspension or Cancellation of the Commitment” section in this Bulletin. 
Ending Date of Obligated Service 
The last day of the service commitment is determined in whole years from the starting date. For example, the last day of service for a recipient with a 3-year service commitment who began service on July 15, 2007, would be July 14, 2009. Adjustments in the ending date may be made by the NHSC if the scholar takes more than the allowable 35 work days away from the site (see “Full-Time Clinical Practice” section) and if the commitment is suspended, interrupted, or otherwise delayed. 
NOTE: Please be advised that NHSC scholarship recipients will not be given preference if they decide to apply for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program after they have completed their scholarship service commitment. 
Service Assignment Process 
NHSC Scholarship Program recipients must fulfill their service commitments at approved sites in federally-designated HPSAs with the greatest need at the time of assignment, as determined by the Secretary (or designee). These may include placements to the Indian Health Service (IHS), the medical facilities of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), or the medical facilities of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 
NHSC scholarship recipients cannot fulfill their NHSC Scholarship Program service commitments by serving in one of the Armed Forces of the United States or the Veterans Administration. 
Approximately 6 months prior to the scheduled start of service for physicians and dentists, the NHSC will send recipients information about the placement process for that year. The family nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants will be sent information about the placement process for that year approximately 4 months prior to the scheduled start of service. The packet will include the Approved Practice List containing job vacancies for which scholars in each discipline and specialty can compete. 
There is no guarantee that HPSAs or sites which are currently approved for NHSC placements will still be approved at the time applicants are available to serve. 
Recipients who fail to obtain a placement in one of the approved practices by the deadlines announced by the NHSC will be assigned to a practice site identified by the NHSC. Recipients who, for any reason, fail to begin or complete service at their assigned service location breach the NHSC Scholarship Program contract and incur the damages described in the section “Failure to Begin or Complete the Service Commitment or Meet the Terms and Conditions of Deferment” in this Bulletin. 
The NHSC reserves the right to make final decisions on all placements, in order to comply with statutory requirements for the placement of scholarship recipients. 
Types of Placements 
The following types of NHSC placements may appear on the Approved Practice List: 
• Non-Federal Placements: 
—Private Practice Assignment (PPA) 
A PPA is an assignment to a public or private entity that operates a community-based system of care where a scholar may serve his/ her commitment. These entities may be supported by local communities or may be sup-ported in part by Federal grant funds. Under the PPA, scholars are considered non-Federal members of the NHSC and are paid by and work under the personnel system of the entity to which they are assigned. The salary and benefits paid by the entity must be at least equal to the salary and benefits that the scholar would have received as a Federal civil service employee. Malpractice insurance should be agreed upon by the employer and the scholar and detailed in their written employment contract. The NHSC requires that each entity make provisions for malpractice insurance, including tail coverage, for scholars under the PPA. 
—Private Practice Option (PPO) A PPO is a release (from having to serve as a member of the NHSC) to serve in a private practice that operates as fee-for-service, or a salaried position at a public, private non-profit or for-profit site. There is no minimum provider salary and benefit package requirement for a PPO. If a PPO placement is approved by the NHSC, the scholar must sign an agreement to, among other things, comply with the section “Charges for Services” requirements set forth in this Bulletin. The scholar must also prepare and submit a Uniform Data System report to the NHSC on the conduct of his/her practice. NOTE: PPO providers must make arrangements to obtain their own malpractice and medical insurance. 
•	Federal Placements: 
—Indian Health Service (IHS) This agency offers a variety of placement opportunities at hospitals and other health care facilities serving Native American populations (usually on Indian reservations). 
—Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) This agency of the Department of Justice employs health professionals in Federal prison facilities ranging from infirmary-size units to 500-bed tertiary care hospitals throughout the United States. This placement requires a security clearance and background check. 
—U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 
This Agency provides primary health care for the detainees remanded to the custody of the ICE. There are currently eleven Service Processing Centers throughout the country and within each center there is a fully accredited outpatient clinic. This placement requires a security clearance. 
Charges for Services 
Federal and PPA entities, as well as PPO providers, must not discriminate in the provision of services to an individual because that individual is unable to pay or because payment would be made under Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. A schedule of discounts (including, in appropriate cases, waiver) must be utilized for patients unable to pay. Finally, Federal and PPA entities and PPO providers must accept assignment under Medicare and enter into appropriate agreements with State agencies to participate in the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs. 
Licensure/Certification Required 
Scholarship recipients MUST BE PERMANENTLY LICENSED IN THEIR SCHOLARSHIP-SUPPORTED PROFESSION prior to commencing service. Credit towards fulfillment of the scholarship commitment will not be given in the absence of a current, unrestricted permanent license. 
Scholarship recipients serving under a PPO or PPA Agreement are required to have a license in the State where the practice site is located. Scholarship recipients serving as Federal employees are required to be licensed in a State. Responsibility for obtaining the required State license prior to the service start date rests with the scholarship recipient. Given that scholars will be required to serve in the areas of greatest need throughout the country, each scholar is responsible for ensuring that his or her professional program and licensing exam will provide broad eligibility to obtain a license in multiple States. 
•	Physicians All physicians must have successfully completed Steps 1, 2 (clinical skills and clinical knowledge components) and 3 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or Levels 1, 2 (cognitive evaluation and performance evaluation components), and 3 of the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) by the time they complete their primary care residency training program. To assure that physician scholars are able to fulfill their commitment wherever the need is greatest upon completion of their 
primary care residency, the NHSC expects all MD/DO scholars to take and pass: 
	Step 1 of the USMLE or Level 1 of the COMLEX by the end of the 2nd year of their MD/DO program. 
	Step 2 (both components) of the USMLE or Level 2 of the COMLEX (both components) by the end of the 4th year of their MD/DO program. 
	Step 3 of the USMLE or Level 3 of the COMLEX by the end of the 1st year of their post-graduate (residency) training program. 

MD/DO scholars unable to pass all parts of the licensing examination and obtain a license to practice medicine by the time the service is scheduled to begin will not be routinely eligible for a suspension of their service obligation and may be placed in default. 
•	Dentists All dentists must have successfully completed the National Board Dental Examination Parts 1 and 2 prior to beginning their NHSC service. To assure that dentists will have licensure in States with the greatest dental needs, the NHSC re-serves the right to determine which Regional or State clinical exam the dental scholar should take and pass. Dental scholars are expected to take the appropriate exams at the earliest possible date. If the recipient is unsuccessful in passing the exams and obtaining a license, the recipient should immediately contact the LCB, in writing, to request a suspension. Please see the “Waiver, 
Suspension or Cancellation of the Commitment” section in this Bulletin. 
•	Nurse Midwives, Family Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants 
All nurse midwives, family nurse practitioners and physician assistants must have successfully passed discipline specific national certification exams prior to beginning their service commitments. Students are expected to take the appropriate certification exam at the earliest possible date. No service credit will be given to any NHSC scholar for practice at an NHSC site prior to passing the national certification exams. If the recipient is unsuccessful in passing the national certification exam, the recipient should immediately contact the LCB, in writing, to request a suspension. Please see the “Waiver, Suspension or Cancellation of the Commitment” section in this Bulletin. 
By law, NHSC scholars must be engaged in the full-time clinical practice of their discipline/specialty at the HPSA practice to which they are assigned. The NHSC defines a full-time clinical practice as a minimum of 40 hours per week, for a minimum of 45 weeks per year. The 40 hours per week may be compressed into no less than 4 days per week, with no more than 12 hours of work to be performed in any 24-hour period. The practice will include hospital treatment coverage appropriate to meet the need of patients and to ensure continuity of care. For all health professionals except obstetrician/gynecologists, family practice physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis and certified nurse-midwives, at least 32 of the minimum 40 hours per week must be spent providing clinical services in the ambulatory care setting at the approved practice site during normally scheduled office hours. Obstetrician/Gynecology physicians, certified nurse-midwives, and family practice physicians who practice obstetrics on a regular basis, are required to engage in a minimum of 21 hours per week of outpatient clinical practice, in addition to deliveries and other in-patient coverage. For all health professionals, time spent “on call,” teaching, or doing research does NOT count toward the required 40 hours/week. No more than 7 weeks (35 work days) per service year may be spent away from the practice for vacation, holidays, illness, continuing professional education or any other reason. 
Work schedules at Federal facilities may be significantly different than community-based systems of care. Scholars who are interested in practice positions at Federal facilities need to discuss the details with these facilities directly. 
DEFAULTING ON THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITMENT – BREACH OF CONTRACT

Failure to Complete Academic Training 
Scholarship recipients who are dismissed from school for academic or disciplinary reasons, or who voluntarily terminate academic training before graduation from the educational program for which the scholarship was awarded, will be declared in breach of their scholarship commitment and held liable to the United States for repayment of all NHSC Scholarship Program funds paid to them and to the school on their behalf. The amount owed must be paid in full within 3 years of the date of default. No interest will be charged on any part of this debt to the United States during the 3-year repayment period. However, if payment in full is not made within the 3-year period, interest will be assessed thereafter. 
Failure to Begin or Complete the Service Commitment or Meet the Terms and Conditions of Deferment 
Scholarship recipients who, for any reason, fail to comply with the terms and conditions of deferment (including physicians who fail to complete an NHSC-approved residency) or who, for any reason, fail to begin or complete their service commitments after completion of training, will be in breach of their scholarship commitments. When recipients breach for these reasons, the United States shall be entitled to recover damages equal to three times the scholarship award plus interest, in accordance with the formula: 
A = 3 Ø(t-s) t 
In which: 
‘A’ is the amount the United States is entitled to recover, 
‘Ø' is the sum of the amounts paid to or on behalf of the participant and the interest on such amounts which would be payable if, at the time the amounts were paid, they were loans bearing interest at the maximum legal prevailing rate, as determined by the Treasurer of the United States, 
‘t' is the total number of months in the participant's period of obligated service, and 
‘s' is the number of months of the period of obligated service served by the participant. 
The damages which the United States is entitled to recover shall be paid within 1 year of the date of default. 
Delinquent Debt 
If the debt is not repaid within 1 year or 3 years (as applicable), and subsequent collection efforts are unsuccessful, the case will then be referred to the Department of Justice for litigation. The recipient will be liable for the debt incurred plus administrative costs and court costs associated with collection of the debt. All delinquent debts must be reported to a commercial credit reporting agency and to the Treasury Department for the Treasury Offset Program. 
IRS Tax Refund Offsets and Medicare/Medicaid Exclusion 
Through the Treasury Offset Program, the government may offset IRS income tax refunds, and apply those refunds to repay delinquent NHSC Scholarship Program debts (31 C.F.R. 285.2). In addition, delinquent defaulters who are unwilling to enter into, and/or stay in compliance with, an agreement to re-pay their scholarship debt can be excluded from participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. See section 1982 of the Social Security Act. 
NOTE: Please be advised that in several States a health professional license can also be suspended or revoked for non-payment of an NHSC scholarship debt. 
WAIVER, SUSPENSION OR CANCELLATION OF THE COMMITMENT

Scholarship recipients seeking a waiver (for a permanent situation) or suspension (for a temporary situation, including pregnancy) of the service or payment commitment must submit a written request to the Legal and Compliance Branch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9C-14, Rockville, Maryland 20857. The request must state the underlying circumstances and be supported by documentation required by the LCB. 
Waivers (or suspensions) of the service or payment commitment may be granted by the Secretary’s designee, whenever compliance by the individual would be impossible (or temporarily impossible), or would involve extreme hardship (or temporary extreme hardship) to the individual and would be against equity and good conscience to enforce. 
Compliance would be considered impossible if the Secretary’s designee determines that the participant suffers from a physical or mental disability resulting in his/her inability to perform the commitment incurred. 
To determine whether performance of the obligation would impose an extreme hardship and be against equity and good conscience, the Secretary’s designee, will consider: (1) the recipient's present financial resources and obligations; (2) the recipient's estimated future financial resources and obligations; and (3) the extent to which the recipient has problems of a personal nature, such as physical or mental disability, or terminal illness in the immediate family, which so intrude on the recipient's present and future ability to perform as to raise a presumption that the individual would be unable to perform the obligation incurred. 
A suspension for maternity purposes is limited to 12 weeks. The suspension can only be extended upon a showing of medical complications requiring additional time. 
In the unfortunate event of a scholarship recipient's death, any commitment to the NHSC Scholarship Program is canceled. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION 

Checklist for the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program
2007-2008 Academic Year

1. Application information.  Check the application carefully to ensure that required fields are complete. 

2. Scholarship contract, signed in ink, and dated.  Sign on each line for each school year you are requesting support.

3.  Authorization to Release Information Letter.  Be sure to complete and sign the authorization letter.

4.  Application Acknowledgment Card:  print name and address of where you would like us to mail the acknowledgment card.

5.* Verification of “Disadvantaged Background” status, if claimed. Obtain from financial aid official of your health professions school. 
6.* Verification by school of your previous participation in the “Scholarship Program for Students of Exceptional Financial Need” (EFN), if this priority status is claimed (Medical and Dental students only). 
7.* Verification of Acceptance or Verification of Good Standing Report or Letter. This document must be submitted by the deadline of March 31, 2007, for medical and dental students and July 1, 2007, for other health professions.

8.*	A copy of your program's curriculum. 
9.*Verification of any undergraduate degrees/ diplomas for applicants who are pursuing training as Family Nurse Practitioners, Nurse-Midwives, or Physician Assistants. A copy of an official transcript or copy of your degree/diploma is acceptable. 
10.*Physician Assistants ONLY. If you are pursuing a Master’s degree, an Associate degree or a Certificate and you do not have a bachelor's degree in nursing, medical technology, or physical therapy, you MUST submit by March 31, 2007, a detailed resume outlining all health care related education and work experience (including periods of employment and number of hours worked per week). See “Applicant Eligibility.”  
11.* Proof of Citizenship. If you were born out-side of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Territory of Guam, the Territory of American Samoa or Swains Island, you must submit evidence of your U.S. citizenship. See the section “Specific Directions for Completing the Application,” in this Bulletin. 
12.* Power-of-Attorney. This document must be submitted if you are submitting an application on behalf of another person. 
13.* Documentation that there is no conflicting service commitment, applicable to individuals with an existing service obligation. See section “No Conflicting Service Commitment” in this Bulletin. This documentation must be submitted by March 31, 2007.

PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION STATEMENT 
General 
This information is provided pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 94-579) of December 31, 1974, as amended, for individuals supplying information for inclusion in a system of records. 
Authority
 
Section 338A of the Public Health Service Act

Purposes and Uses 
The purpose of the NHSC Scholarship Program is to assure an adequate supply of health professionals to meet the staffing needs of the NHSC in HPSAs of the United States. The information you provide will be used to evaluate your qualifications and suitability for participating in the NHSC Scholarship Program. 
Selections are made on a competitive basis. The NHSC scholarship recipient's application and related data are made part of the file to be used within the Department of Health and Human Services for record-keeping and management during the recipient's participation in the NHSC Scholarship Program. The in-formation may also be disclosed outside the Department, as permitted by the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act (e.g., to the Congress, the National Archives, the General Accounting Office, and pursuant to court order). 
The name of a scholarship recipient, the professional school he or she is attending, and the date of graduation may be made available to health professions associations, to groups which have responsibility for coordinating funds paid to students from Federal and other sources, and to individuals and organizations deemed qualified by the Secretary to carry out specific research, solely for the purpose of carrying out such research. In addition, name, specialty, business address, telephone number, and completion date of commitment may be provided to professional placement firms in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act. 

Effects of Non-disclosure 
Disclosure of the information sought in this application is voluntary; however, if not provided, except for the Social Security Number and the race or ethnic identity of the applicant, an application will be considered incomplete and chances for selection diminished. If you do not provide your Social Security Number and you are awarded a scholarship, this number will be required later to pay your scholarship benefits. 
DEADLINE 
All applications and their supporting documentation must be received or postmarked by March 31, 2007. Applications should be mailed to the Division of National Health Service Corps, NHSC Scholarship Program, c/o Discovery Logic, 1375 Piccard Drive, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Meeting the announced deadline dates is the responsibility of the applicant. 
POWER-OF-ATTORNEY 
If you are submitting and executing an application on behalf of another person, it is mandatory that a copy of the agreement granting you Power-of-Attorney to act for the applicant be submitted with the application materials. 
GENERAL DIRECTIONS 
1.	APPLICATION FORM 
Do not make any entries on the application form until you have read the Applicant Information Bulletin and the specific directions. Errors or omissions on the form will delay or prevent the processing of your application. 
 
2.	VERIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE/VERIFICATION OF GOOD STANDING 
All applicants entering the 1st year of school must submit an official report or letter verifying acceptance, and all applicants entering their 2nd or later year of school must submit an official report or letter verifying good standing. The re-port or letter is due on or before March 31, 2007, for Allopathic or Osteopathic and Dental students and July 1, 2007, for Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse-Midwife, and Physician Assistant students. 
Applicants are required to submit a copy of the curriculum for their program with their verification of acceptance/good standing. The applicant is encouraged to use the Verification of Acceptance Report or Verification of Good Standing Report contained in Section VI of this Bulletin. 
This Report must be completed by the admissions office with the school's raised seal on it and returned to the address indicated. The verification of acceptance/verification of good standing report or letter must include the following information: 
1	Student's name and social security number; 
2	Program in which admitted/enrolled in good standing for 2007-2008; 
3	If student is considered full-time or part-time; 
4	If there is a contingency to the student's acceptance, it must be explained; 
5	Student classification for the 2007-2008 school year (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th year); 
6	Total Length of the full-time program (months only); 
7	The Degree/Certificate the student will have upon completion of this program; 
8	Date student started the program; 
9	Date classes start for the 2007-2008 school year (mm/dd/yy); and 
10	Anticipated Date of Graduation/Completion 

NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the NHSC Scholarship Program receives the verification of acceptance/verification of good standing report or letter by the appropriate deadline. 
3.	EXCEPTIONAL FINANCIAL NEED (EFN) 
Medical and Dental School Applicants – Applicants must submit documentation from the school attended under the Scholarship Program for Students of EFN,” if claiming this status. 
4. ACKNOWLEDGMENT POSTCARD 
The applicant enters his/her name and address on the front of the acknowledgment postcard and submits it along with the application.  For online applications, the Information for the acknowledgment card will be automatically generated. This card will be mailed back to the applicant approximately 2 weeks from receipt of the application and should be retained by the applicant. 
5. AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE INFORMATION LETTER 
The applicant enters his/her name on the top part of authorization letter, then signs, dates, and submits the letter along with the application.

6. CHANGE-OF-ADDRESS  
Should your mailing address change before September 30, 2007, send your new address information by mail, facsimile, or electronic mail.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT CHANGE OF ADDRESS BY TELEPHONE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

SECTION A: GENERAL 
Section A. Item 1. Professional Health Discipline: Indicate the name of your professional health discipline.   Then enter the code letters of the “discipline codes” corresponding to your discipline and your education program.
Section A. Item 2. Full Name: Enter your full name.

Section A. Item 4. Social Security Number 
Applicants who are selected for awards under the NHSC Scholarship Program will be required to furnish their Social Security Numbers for the payment of their stipends and for Federal income tax reporting purposes. (See Privacy Act Notification Statement) No sums are withheld from stipend payments for participation in the Social Security Retirement System (FICA). Applicants without a Social Security Number should make immediate efforts to obtain one by calling their local office of the Social Security Administration. 
Section A. Item 6. Citizenship 
If you were born outside of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Territory of Guam, the Territory of American Samoa or Swains Island, documentary proof of 
U.S. citizenship or U.S. national status must be submitted with the application. This may consist of a copy of your birth certificate that states your U.S. citizenship, the ID page of your U.S. passport, or a certificate of citizenship or naturalization. 
Section A. Item 7. School Standing 
For students entering the 1st year, the verification of acceptance must be submitted. For students entering their 2nd or later year, the verification of good standing must be submitted. The verifications must be submitted by the published deadline dates. 
Section A. Item 8a. Judgment Lien 
Applicants who have a court judgment entered against them for a debt owed to the United States which creates a lien against their property are precluded from receiving Federal funds (including NHSC scholarship awards), until the judgment lien has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied. 
Section A. Item 8b. Delinquent Federal Debt 
Applicants who have a delinquent Federal debt will not be selected for scholarship awards regardless of circumstances. A Federal debt includes debts arising from Federal taxes, Federal loans, federally guar-anteed student or home mortgage loans, an overpayment of Federal benefits, and any other debt owed to the Federal government. Debts that are more than 31 days past due on a scheduled payment are delinquent. 
Section A. Item 9. Existing Service Commitment 
Students already obligated to a State or other entity for professional practice after academic training should not apply for NHSC scholarship awards unless the obligating entity states in writing that there is no potential conflict on the part of the applicant to fulfill the service commitment to the NHSC Scholar-ship Program, and that the NHSC Scholarship Program service commitment will be served first. If you are obligated to practice under another program, read the terms of your agreement carefully. Many agreements will enable you to serve the NHSC scholarship commitment first. If so, you should blacken the answer “yes" and submit with your application a written statement from the entity verifying that there is no potential conflict with the NHSC Scholarship Program's ser-vice commitment, and that the NHSC commitment will be served first. The written statement should accompany the application, or be submitted to the Program by March 31, 2007. 
Scholarship recipients not immediately available to fulfill the scholarship service commitment after completion of education or expiration of authorized deferments (whichever is applicable) will be in breach of their NHSC Scholarship Program contracts. 
Section A. Item 10a. Former EFN Recipient (medical or dental students only) 
The Federal “Scholarship Program for Students of Exceptional Financial Need" (EFN) was administered directly by schools of allopathic and osteopathic medicine or dentistry through grants from the U.S. Public Health Service. By law, previous participants in the EFN program have a first priority for selection if they apply to the NHSC Scholarship Program. (See the First Priority,” section in this Bulletin.) They will be selected for NHSC scholarships if their application scores are within the competitive range determined by the DNHSC. 
Documentation from the financial aid office of the school certifying that you received the benefits of the EFN program should accompany the application, or be submitted by March 31, 2007 in order to be granted this priority status. 
Section A. Item 10b. Disadvantaged Background 
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds receive a priority for selection. (See the Third Priority section in this Bulletin.)
➢ FOR MEDICAL AND DENTAL STUDENTS: 
“Disadvantaged Background" will be documented by a written certification from the student financial aid administrator or other official of your school of medicine or dentistry that you are eligible to participate in the Federal programs “Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students" or “Loans for Disadvantaged Students", and the reason (“inhibiting educational environment" or “from a low-income family") for this status. Eligibility for other Federal programs requiring “disadvantaged background" may also be cited for certification. These certifications of “disadvantaged background" should accompany the application, or be submitted to the NHSC Scholar-ship Program by March 31, 2007 in order to be granted the priority status. 
➢	FOR NURSING AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENTS: “Disadvantaged Background" will be documented by the school, which certifies that the applicant meets the criteria for participation in (a) the Federal program of “Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students" or (b) the benefits of the “Nursing Workforce Diversity Grants" (Section 821 of the PHS Act; Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance program number 93.178). Eligibility for other Federal programs requiring “disadvantaged background" may also be cited for certification. These certifications of “disadvantaged background" should accompany the application or be submitted to the NHSC Scholarship Program by March 31, 2007. 
Note that applicants need not have actually participated in these programs, only be certified by the school as having met the criteria of “Disadvantaged Background" required by these or other Federal pro-grams. An applicant's current financial need is not a condition for participation in the NHSC Scholarship Program. For information about programs for disadvantaged students, visit the website address http:// www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/weblinks. 
SECTION B: PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAM 
Section B. Item 3a. Health Professions School 
Enter the name of the health professions school you will be attending.

Section B. Item 3b. Location of Health Professions School 
Enter the location of the health professions school you will be attending. Be sure to list the location of the school for your discipline. 
Section B. Item 3c. Code of the Health Professions School 
Fill in this item from the drop down list. 
SECTION C: BACKGROUND 
Section C. Items 1b. and 1c. Race and Ethnicity 
Completion of these questions is voluntary. Mark one or more circle(s) to identify your racial or ethnic group. 
Section C. Item 2c. College Major 
Indicate the area of your undergraduate college major. 
Section C. Item 2b. Undergraduate Degree Codes 
Use the list of degree codes to complete Item 2b. 

Section C. Item 3. Community Background 
List the location and size of all communities you lived in from birth through age 18, and the number of years in each. List your community size according to the codes shown in item 3. If a community is contiguous with, or entirely contained within, a larger metropolitan area, the size classification should be based on the size of the larger area, as shown in the examples below. 

Round the number of years to the nearest whole number; omit any place you lived for less than 6 months. After the community information is listed, then code the State, community size, and number of years by blackening the appropriate circles corresponding to each place of residence. Each place of residence must have one response blackened in each of the corresponding columns.  
SECTION D: CAREER GOALS 
Section D. Item 1a. Future Specialty Interest (for medical, dental, and nurse practitioner students only) 
If you are a medical student (M.D. or D.O.) or dental student (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), enter the name of your appropriate allopathic, osteopathic or dental specialty interest and enter the Code Letters from the drop down menu (as applicable). If you have no specialty preference at present, but expect to enter one of the starred primary care specialties, enter the words, UNKNOWN PRIMARY CARE SPECIALTY on this line and enter P R I in the three specialty code blocks. To indicate that your specialty interest is simply UNDECIDED, enter U N. 

NOTE: Be sure that you use the correct lists that apply to your professional discipline. 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS 
DEFERMENT – is a delay in the start of a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) service commitment granted upon a scholar’s request by the Director, Division of National Health Service Corps, for a specified period of time to enter and complete an approved post-degree advanced training program. For multi-year programs, requests for deferment are reviewed annually, and are granted in 1-year increments. 
FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT – to be eligible to receive scholarship benefits; participants must be en-rolled as full-time students. Please be advised that any non-required or unrelated courses WILL NOT count toward the school’s required hours in determining full-time status. 
LEAVE-OF-ABSENCE – is a period of approved absence from a course of study granted to a student by his or her training institution for medical, personal, and other reasons. The leave-of-absence is usually granted for a period of 1 year or less. When a leave-of-absence is expected, a scholar is required to notify the NHSC Scholarship Program immediately, in writing, and submit a letter from the school approving the leave-of-absence and indicating the start and end dates for the period of the absence. Payment of all benefits are discontinued when a scholar is on an approved leave-of-absence, and may be resumed when the student returns full-time to the course of study for which the scholarship was awarded. NOTE: If you are a new awardee and you plan to take a leave-of-absence prior to the start of classes for the 2007-2008 academic year and you will not begin classes on or before January 2, 2008, you must decline the award and reapply next year. 
SUSPENSION – is a temporary status. The bases for a suspension would be a medical condition or a personal situation that: 1) would make it temporarily impossible to continue the service commitment or payment of the monetary debt, or 2) would temporarily involve an extreme hardship to the individual and enforcement of the service or payment commitment would be against equity and good conscience. All requests for a suspension must be submitted in writing and include full medical and financial documentation. 
WAIVER – is a permanent status. The basis for a waiver would be a permanent medical condition or personal situation that: 1) would make it impossible for the individual to serve the commitment or pay the debt, or 2) would involve an extreme hardship to the individual and enforcement of the service or payment commitment would be against equity and good conscience. All requests for a waiver must be submitted in writing and include full medical and financial documentation. 

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DEADLINES 
ISSUES 	IMPORTANT DEADLINES 	
Submit an NHSC Scholarship Application 	March 31, 2007 	
Submit Verification of Acceptance Report, or Verification of Good Standing Report (Physician and Dentist Applicants) 	March 31, 2007 	
Submit Exceptional Financial Need Documentation (if applicable) 	March 31, 2007 	
Submit Disadvantaged Background Documentation (if applicable) 	March 31, 2007 	
Submit Resumes for Physician Assistants (if applicable) 	March 31, 2007 	
Submit documentation that no conflicting service commitment exists (if applicable) 	March 31, 2007 	
Submit Verification of Acceptance Report , or Verification of Good Standing Report (Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives) 	July 1, 2007 	
Submit change of school/discipline letter with Verification of Acceptance Report, or Verification of Good Standing Report 	July 1, 2007 	
Notify applicant of award 	August - September 2007 	
Notify applicant of selection as an alternate 	August - September 2007 	
Notify applicant of non-selection for a scholarship award 	August 2007 	
All awards completed 	September 30, 2007 	

VERIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE REPORT 	
(For School Use Only) 	
Date: 	
Mail to: 	Bureau of Health Professions Division of National Health Service Corps NHSC Scholarship Program c/o Discovery Logic 1375 Piccard Drive, Suite 325 Rockville, Maryland 20850, 1-800-538-0824	

This Verification of Acceptance Report certifies that the student identified below has been accepted for admission for the 2007-2008 school year as indicated. 
Name of student: 
Student’s Social Security Number: 
Program in which student is admitted: 
Is student considered:
IFull-time  Part-time 
Is there a contingency to student’s acceptance? (Circle) YES or NO If YES, explain: 
Student classification at admission of the 2007-2008 school year (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th): Length of the full-time program: Months (IN MONTHS ONLY) Degree/certificate student will receive upon completion of this program: Date classes start for the 2007-2008 school year: Anticipated date of graduation:

SUBMITTED BY: 
Signature 
Name 
Title & Phone Number 
E-Mail Address

THIS REPORT MUST HAVE THE SCHOOL’S RAISED SEAL ON IT TO BE ACCEPTED.

VERIFICATION OF GOOD STANDING REPORT 	
(For School Use Only) 	
Date: 	
Mail to: 	Bureau of Health Professions Division of National Health Service Corps NHSC Scholarship Program c/o Discovery Logic 1375 Piccard Drive, Suite 325 Rockville, Maryland 20850  1-800-638-0824	

This Verification of Good Standing Report certifies that the student identified below is enrolled and is in good standing for the 2007-2008 school year as indicated. 
Name of student: 
Student’s Social Security Number: 
Program in which student is enrolled:

Is student considered:
	Full-time  Part-time 

Is there a contingency to student’s acceptance? (Circle) YES or NO If YES, explain: 
Student classification at admission of the 2007-2008 school year (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th): Length of the full-time program: Months (IN MONTHS ONLY) Degree/certificate student will receive upon completion of this program: Date student started in this program: Date classes start for the 2007-2008 school year: Anticipated date of graduation:

SUBMITTED BY: 
Signature 
Name 
Title & Phone Number 
E-Mail Address 
THIS REPORT MUST HAVE THE SCHOOL’S RAISED SEAL ON IT TO BE ACCEPTED. 

AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE INFORMATION

If I become a participant in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program, I, , 
(Print Name - First, Middle Initial, Last) hereby authorize the school where I am/was enrolled while participating in the NHSC Scholarship Program to disclose information pertaining to my school enrollment to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of National Health Service Corps (DNHSC), which administers the NHSC Scholarship Program. “Information pertaining to my school enrollment' includes, but is not limited to, my transcripts and grades, my academic standing, my enrollment and degree status, my curriculum and examination requirements for graduation, my tuition and fees, and my leave-of-absence, withdrawal, or dismissal from school. 
This authorization will also include the disclosure of any pertinent information needed while I am in a residency training program (if applicable). 
This authorization takes effect on the date that I become a participant in the NHSC Scholarship Program, and it shall remain in effect until the date my NHSC scholarship commitment has been fulfilled. 
(Signature of Individual) (Date)

Division of National Health Service Corps
NHSC Scholarship Program
c/o Discovery Logic
1375 Piccard Drive, Suite 325
Rockville, Maryland 20850