1A NHSC Scholarship Program Application

The National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, Students to Service Loan Repayment Program, and the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program

NHSC Scholarship Program Application

OMB: 0915-0146

Document [pdf]

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

National Health Service Corps
(NHSC) Scholarship Program (SP)
Online Application User Guide
February 2023

OMB No.: 0915-0146
Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX
Public Burden Statement: The purpose of the NHSC SP, NHSC S2S LRP, and the NHHSP is to provide scholarships or
loan repayment to qualified students who are pursuing primary care health professions education and training. In return,
students agree to provide primary health care services at approved facilities located in designated Health Professional
Shortage Areas (HPSAs) once they are fully trained and licensed health professionals. 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 information collection is 0915-0146 and it is valid until XX/XX/202X. This
information collection is required to obtain or retain a benefit (NHSC SP: Section 338A, Section 338C-H of PHS Act; NHSC
S2S: Section 338B and Section 331(i) of the PHS Act; NHHSP: Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act of 1992, as
amended [42 U.S.C. 11709]). Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average xx hours per
response, including the time 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
14N136B, Rockville, Maryland, 20857 or [email protected].
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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide
CONTENTS
Part 1 | Introduction...................................................................................................................................................... 5
NHSC SP Online Application User Guide .................................................................................................................. 5
Part 2 | Registration and Log-in..................................................................................................................................... 6
Creating an Account .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Logging-In .................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Failed Log-in Attempts .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Forgot Your Password? ............................................................................................................................................. 7
First Time Log-in ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
Part 3 | NHSC SP Application ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Welcome ................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Steps ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 10
Eligibility .................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
Personal Information .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
Academic Information ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Academic Information | Background Education Information ............................................................................... 19
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Academic Information | Discipline, Training and Certification Information ........................................................ 20
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Academic Information | School Search | Add School............................................................................................ 22
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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
Academic Information | School Search | Degree not Found................................................................................. 25
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 27
Academic Information | School Search | School not Found ................................................................................. 28
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 31
Academic Information | Degree Information Dates .............................................................................................. 31
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 33
Letters of Recommendation ................................................................................................................................... 34
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Business Requirements ....................................................................................................................................... 35
Letter of Recommendation (External) .................................................................................................................... 36
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 37
Documents .............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 41
Review ..................................................................................................................................................................... 43
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 43
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 44
Certify and Submit .................................................................................................................................................. 45
Steps .................................................................................................................................................................... 45
Business Rules ..................................................................................................................................................... 45
Submitted Application ............................................................................................................................................ 46
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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

PART 1 | INTRODUCTION
NHSC SP ONLINE APPLICATION USER GUIDE
Purpose: The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program (SP) online application user guide serves
as the main tool for the Customer Care Center to answer applicant questions regarding issues applicants have
when calling for resolution. In addition to this user guide, the Customer Care Center Analysts must be familiar with
the NHSC SP Application Program & Guidance, as some of the questions will be program based and are not
discussed in this user guide. The primary intent of this user guide is to focus on the functionality developed for the
NHSC SP Online Application.
Roles: The application will be filled out by external users. The Customer Care Center Analysts need to understand
the functionality to support external users should they encounter any problems with the application.
Precondition: Applicant has a question regarding the NHSC SP Online Application and contacts the Customer Care
Center for help to resolve an issue.

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PART 2 | REGISTRATION AND LOG-IN
The Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) requires that all Applicants create a BHW Program Portal account. Creating
and activating an account allows an Applicant to apply online. An Applicant can access the Program Portal here.
This section of the user guide will highlight how to create and log-into your Program Portal account.

CREATING AN ACCOUNT
To create a program portal account, an Applicant can navigate to the Sign-Up page and complete the required
fields below.

LOGGING-IN
Once an account for the Program Portal has been created and activated, you can log-into the portal from the NHSC
SP Applicant sign-in page.
Enter the email address and password you used when creating your account. If you forget your password, you can
reset it by selecting the Forgot your password? link.

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FAILED LOG-IN ATTEMPTS
If the email and password combination is incorrect, the system will display a warning message. After three (3)
unsuccessful login attempts, your account will be locked and cannot be accessed until the password is rest using
the Forgot your password link.

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?
If you forget your account password or would like to reset it, select the Forgot your password? link. You will be
required to enter your email address and an answer to your security question in the fields provided to reset your
password.

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FIRST TIME LOG-IN
If Applicant is logging-in to the Portal for the first time, they will be taken directly to the Welcome page.

PART 3 | NHSC SP APPLICATION
WELCOME
The Welcome page is the first page the Applicant will see on their initial log-in. Once the Applicant has started their
application, their status will change to “In Progress”.

STEPS
1.
2.

Applicant reviews the information displayed on the Welcome Page for NHSC SP program.
Once an Applicant has finished reviewing the necessary information and confirmed acknowledgement of
the Assurances statements, they can click Start Application to begin the NHSC SP application process.

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

BUSINESS RULES
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Applicants are requested to review the following content on Welcome screen prior to starting their
application:
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o Application and Program Guidance (APG)
o Cycle Dates
o Application Overview
o Documents Needed
o Paperwork Reduction Act Public Burden Statement
o Assurances
Applicant must accept all the Assurances statements to “Start Application”.
If Applicant logs in to their previously saved application, they will be directed to the last saved NHSC SP
application page.
o Applicant can continue from their last saved page or jump to any completed section of the
application using the left-hand navigation menu.
o Applicant will not be able to jump a page that is not started.
Applicant may return to the Welcome page at any time to reference application information, view their
status or retrieve their application ID.

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

ELIGIBILITY
The Eligibility page is used to ensure the applicant meets the qualification requirements to apply for an NHSC SP
application. If the applicant is deemed eligible, he/she will be able to continue with the application. If an individual
does not pass the eligibility portion of the online application, he/she will not be able to continue with the
application.

STEPS
1.
2.
3.
4.

Applicant answers all required questions.
Applicant selects Save & Continue after all questions have been answered on Eligibility page.
The ineligible modal (pop up) will appear over the screen if Applicant is considered ineligible.
Applicant is directed to the Personal Information page if they are considered eligible.

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BUSINESS RULES
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Applicant can select any tool tip to see additional information relevant to a question.
System shall require responses to the follow up questions if Applicant responds “Yes” to question 5
(existing service obligation):
o Will it be completely satisfied on or before application submission?
o Are you in a Reserve component of the Armed Forces including the National Guard?
System shall consider Applicant ineligible if one or more of the following answers are selected:
o Q1: Applicant US Citizen or National = No
o Q2: Applicant dismissed, placed on probation, suspended, or voluntary withdrawn from a health
profession school for academic or disciplinary = Yes
o Q4: Applicant judgment lien against property from a federal debt = Yes
o Q4: Applicant defaulted federal or non-federal obligation = Yes
o Q5: Applicant existing service obligation = Yes and:
 Completed before submission= No and:
 Uniformed service member = No
o Q6: Applicant defaulted a service obligation = Yes
o Q7: Applicant enrolled as a full-time student = No
If system has determined Applicant is ineligible, the ineligible modal is displayed over the Eligibility page.
o Applicant can review and change their responses after closing modal.

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PERSONAL INFORMATION
The Personal Information page consists of questions regarding the applicant’s contact and background
information. Some information (such as First and Last Name, Middle Initial, etc.) is pre-populated from the answers
the applicant entered when creating his/her account.

STEPS
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.

Applicant answers required fields.
Applicant selects Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the Name card.
Home (Permanent) address card will appear on the Personal Information page.
Applicant selects Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the Home (Permanent)
Address card.
Contact Information card will appear on the Personal Information page.
Applicant selects Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the Contact Information
card.
Place of Birth card will appear on the Personal Information page.
Applicant selects Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the Place of Birth card.
Demographics card will appear on the Personal Information page.
Applicant selects Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the Demographics card.
Emergency Contact card will appear on the Personal Information page.
Applicant selects Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the Emergency Contact card.
Background card will appear on the Personal Information page.
Applicant selects Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the Background card.
NHSC SP Service card will appear on the Personal Information page.
Applicant selects Save & Continue once they have answered all the required fields on the NHSC SP Service
card.
Applicant will be directed to Academic Information page upon selecting Save & Continue if all required
fields are entered.

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

BUSINESS RULES
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The following fields are populated for existing users:
o First Name
o Last Name
System shall display Preferred Email Address as read-only with the login email address information.
If Applicant selects a non-US Country, then State/Territory/Region/Province becomes a free form input
field and Zip code length constraints are no longer applicable.
System shall require Applicant to enter a preferred phone number.
System shall require Applicant to indicate their preferred mailing address.
The alternate phone number is required if Applicant selects that option that the number is international.
System shall require Applicant Birth Date is prior to application cycle start date.
System shall display error message and not allow Applicant to continue if they enter an SSN that is tied to
an existing user.
o Error message will request Applicant to login with existing portal account.
System shall mask the SSN and require Applicant to enter the SSN twice.
o Applicant is required to re-enter their SSN if the SSNs do not match.
o Applicant can edit SSN and re-enter numbers.
System shall not allow Applicant to edit SSN if they login with an existing portal account.

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ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Academic Information page consists of questions regarding the applicant’s education background, discipline
and specialty and degree information, as well as collecting information about the school for which the applicant is
requesting scholarship funding.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION | BACKGROUND EDUCATION INFORMATION
The Background Education Information card collects the applicant’s education history.

STEPS
1.
2.
3.

Applicant answers required fields.
Applicant clicks Continue on Background Education Information card.
Applicant will see Discipline, Training and Certification Information card on the Academic Information page.

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BUSINESS RULES
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System shall require Applicant to enter the name of their school for highest education received.
System shall require Applicant to enter their Country, State/Territory/Region/Province and City for
highest education received.
System shall require Applicant to enter their highest level of education and the year that they received it
in.
System shall require Applicant to enter their Overall GPA.
o Standard GPAs must consist of numbers and decimals between 1 and 4 with up to 3 decimal
places.
o If the Applicant checks “Non-Standard GPA”, they can enter an alphanumeric GPA.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION | DISCIPLINE, TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
INFORMATION
The Discipline, Training and Certification Information card asks for details about Applicant’s discipline, specialty
and degree information.

STEPS
1.
2.
3.
4.
4.

Applicant selects Discipline of the program they are pursuing.
Applicant selects Specialty of the program they are pursuing. If the discipline does not have a specialty,
Applicants should select "None" for the Specialty field.
Applicant selects Degree they will obtain upon completing the program they are pursuing.
Applicant clicks Continue on the Discipline, Training and Certification Information Card.
Applicant will see the School Search card on the Academic Information page.

BUSINESS RULES
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System shall require Applicant to select a Discipline.
Once the user makes their discipline selection:

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The Specialty and Degree (drop down) menus appear on the card.
Specialty and Degree drop downs will display the mapped options corresponding to the
Discipline selected.
System shall require Applicant to select the following specialty and degree options if Applicant selects
“Dentist” as a discipline:
o Specialty:
 Geriatrics
 General Practice
 Pediatrics
 Public Health Dentistry
o Degree:
 DMD
 DDS
System shall require Applicant to select the following specialty and degree options if Applicant selects
“Osteopathic Physician” as a discipline:
o Specialty:
 Family Practice
 Internal Medicine
 OB/GYN
 Pediatrics
 Psychiatry
 Family Practice w/OB
 Internal Medicine - Geriatrics
 Family Practice - Geriatrics
 Psychiatry - Geriatrics
o Degree:
 DO
System shall require Applicant to select the following specialty and degree options if Applicant selects
“Allopathic Physician” as a discipline:
o Specialty:
 Family Practice
 Internal Medicine
 OB/GYN
 Pediatrics
 Family Practice w/OB
 Internal Medicine - Geriatrics
 Family Practice - Geriatrics
 Psychiatry - Geriatrics
o Degree:
 MD
System shall require Applicant to select the following specialty and degree options if Applicant selects
“Certified Nurse Midwife” as a discipline:
o Specialty:
 None
o Degree:
 Associate`s
o
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•

 Diploma
 Bachelor`s
 Master`s
 Post - Master`s Certificate
 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
System shall require Applicant to select the following specialty and degree options if Applicant selects
“Nurse Practitioner” as a discipline:
o Specialty:
 Adult
 Family Practice
 Geriatrics
 Psychiatry
 Pediatrics
 Women`s Health
 Psychiatrics - Mental Health
o Degree:
 Post - Master`s Certificate
 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
 Master`s (Direct Entry)
 Master`s
 Master`s (Bridge)
 Ph.D
System shall require Applicant to select the following specialty and degree options if Applicant selects
“Physician Assistant” as a discipline:
o Specialty:
 Adult
 Family Practice
 Geriatrics
 Pediatrics
 Women`s Health
 Psychiatry
o Degree:
 Post- Master`s Certificate
 Associate`s
 Master`s
 Bachelor’s
Once Applicant’s school is added to the School Search card, the Discipline, Training and Certification card
will become a read-only section.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION | SCHOOL SEARCH | ADD SCHOOL
On the School Search card, the Applicant identifies the school they currently attend or will attend for their
pursuing program. The Applicant will look for their school using the School Search. If both the school and degree

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program are recognized by NHSC SP, the Applicant can successfully select the school from the search results and
add it to their application to complete the card.

STEPS
1.
2.
3.

5.
6.

7.
8.

Applicant enters School Name and State/Territory fields.
Applicant clicks Search button to perform school search.
Applicant views search results containing list of schools. The system displays School Name and Address for
each school.
a. Applicant can click the hyperlink “Click here if your school is not listed in the above search results.”
to expand the list of search results. This can be repeated twice to expand on previous iterations.
Applicant looks for their school in the search results.
a. If the Applicant’s school is not found in the expanded search results, Applicant will be prompted to
provide information to make a school request. Follow additional School Search steps for School
Not Found (School).
Applicant who successfully found their school can select the checkbox next to the desired School Name.
Applicant clicks the Add School button to add the school selected to their application.
a. If the school selected to be added does not have an accredited degree offering recognized by
NHSC SP that matches the discipline and degree provided, Applicant will be prompted to provide
information to make a school request. Follow additional School Search steps for School Not Found
(Degree).
Applicants verifies school listed under School Added.
Applicant clicks Continue button on School Search card.

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BUSINESS RULES
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System shall require Applicant to enter the School name (at least one character) and select State/Territory
for the Search button to be enabled.
System shall display search results in order of high, medium and low likelihood.
o System shall allow the Applicant to iterate the search results by clicking the hyperlink “Click here
if your school is not listed in the above search results.”
o If an Applicant’s school is not displayed in the search results, the Applicant will check the “Click
here if your school is not listed in the above search results - let me request a new school.” box to
create a new School not found request.
System shall require Applicant to add school from search results to complete the School Search card
o Add School button is enabled when Applicant selects school in the search results
o System shall not allow the Applicant to select more than one school.
o Applicant can add only one school under the School Added table.
o System shall allow the user to remove the school on the School Added table.
System shall check if the selected school added from search results has an accredited degree offering that
matches applicant`s program discipline and degree.
o If the school is found to have the accredited degree offering the system will display the school
added successfully in the School Added table.
o If school is NOT found to have the accredited degree offering the system will require the
applicant to create a school request. See next section.
Once a school is added and displayed in the Schools Added table the system will not allow the applicant to
change the Discipline/Specialty/Degree combination, or the school added.
o Applicant must first remove school from school added table to change their Discipline, Specialty
Degree combination or perform a new school search.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION | SCHOOL SEARCH | DEGREE NOT FOUND
On the School Search card, the Applicant identifies the school they currently attend or will attend for their
pursuing program. The Applicant will look for their school using the School Search. If the selected school does not
have a degree program recognized by NHSC SP that matches discipline and degree combination provided, the
system displays additional fields for the Applicant to submit a school request to complete the School Search card.

STEPS
Applicant has completed Steps 1-6 of the School Search, but Add School displays additional fields instead of directly
listing the School Added table. These Applicants must follow additional steps to submit a school request and
complete the School Search card.
1.

Applicant clicks the Add School button to add the school selected to their application.
a. If the selected school does not have an accredited degree offering recognized by NHSC SP that
matches the discipline and degree provided, Applicant is prompted to provide information to
make a school request.
Applicant reviews pre-populated School Information.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Applicant reviews pre-populated Accreditation Information.
Applicant may select Add POC button to provide optional Point of Contact Information.
Applicant clicks Save to create school request.
Applicant verifies school and status of their school request in School Added table.
Applicant clicks Continue on School Search card.
a. While the School Search card has been completed, Applicants who submit a school request will
later need to return to this section to verify their requested school has been approved and added.

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BUSINESS RULES
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System shall require Applicants who found their school and clicked Add School button, but system
determined the school does not have an accredited program matching their provided discipline and degree
to create a school request.
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o System shall display School Information fields as read only.
o System shall allow Applicant to Save school request when required fields are completed.
System shall display the school requested, address and status of the school request created under the
School Added table.
o Application status is updated to “In Progress - School not Found” when degree or school not
found request is created.
o The Applicant may cancel their degree or school not found request by selecting the Cancel
Request button.
o Once a school is added under the Schools Added table the system will not allow the applicant to
change the Discipline, Specialty degree combination or the school requested to be added.
 Applicant must first cancel school request on the school added table to change their
Discipline, Specialty, Degree combination or perform a new school search or school
request.
o System shall allow Applicant to continue the online application with school added as a school
request with a status of “Pending”, “Submitted” or “Under Review”. However, the Applicant will
not be able to submit their application.
System shall notify Applicant when review of the school request (new degree) is complete.
o Application status is updated from “In Progress – School not Found” to “In Progress”.
o If school request is approved, the School Added table displays the school successfully added. No
status is displayed since the school has been added.
o If school request is denied, the requested school is removed from the School Added table.
o If a new degree is added to a school as a result of a school request, it will take 24 hours to reflect
in the next search results.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION | SCHOOL SEARCH | SCHOOL NOT FOUND
On the School Search card, the Applicant identifies the school they currently attend or will attend for their
pursuing program. The Applicant will look for their school using the School Search. If the school is not recognized
by NHSC SP, the system displays additional fields for the Applicant to submit a school request to complete the
School Search card.

STEPS
Applicant has completed Steps 1-4 of the School Search but did not find their school in the search results. These
Applicants must follow additional steps to submit a school request and complete the School Search card.
1.

2.
3.
4.

Applicant looks for their school in the search results.
a. If the Applicant’s school is not found in the expanded search results, Applicant selects checkbox
displayed next to “Click here if your school is not listed in the above search results – let me
request a new school”.
Applicant enters the School Information.
Applicant reviews pre-populated fields and can optionally select accreditation body for their program if
known in Accreditation Information.
Applicant may select Add POC button to provide optional Point of Contact Information.
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5.
6.
7.

Applicant clicks Save to create school request.
Applicant verifies school and status of their school request in School Added table.
Applicant clicks Continue on School Search card.
a. While the School Search card has been completed, Applicants who submit a school request will
later need to return to this section to verify their requested school has been approved and added.

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NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

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BUSINESS RULES
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System shall require Applicant who do not find school in expanded search results to create a school request
in order to add their school. Applicant selects checkbox displayed next to “Click here if your school is not
listed in the above search results – let me request a new school”.
o System shall require Applicant to enter School Information fields.
o System shall allow Applicant to Save school request when required fields are completed.
System shall display the school requested, address and status of the school request created under the
School Added table.
o Application status is updated to “In Progress - School not Found” when degree or school not
found request is created.
o The Applicant may cancel their degree or school not found request by selecting the Cancel
Request button.
o Once a school is added under the Schools Added table the system will not allow the applicant to
change the Discipline, Specialty degree combination or the school requested added.
 Applicant must first cancel school request on the school added table to change their
Discipline, Specialty, Degree combination or perform a new school search or school
request.
o System shall allow Applicant to continue the online application with school added as a school
request with a status of “Pending”, “Submitted” or “Under Review”. However, the Applicant will
not be able to submit their application.
System shall notify Applicant when review of the new school request is complete.
o Application status is updated from “In Progress – School not Found” to “In Progress”.
o If school request is approved, the School Added table displays the school successfully added. No
status is displayed since the school has been added.
o If school request is denied, the requested school is removed from the School Added table.
o If a new school is added as a result of a school request, it will take 24 hours to reflect in the next
search results.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION | DEGREE INFORMATION DATES
The Degree Information Dates card guides the Applicant in determining NHSC SP contract years they can obtain
funding for based on their program’s dates (Start Date, End Date, and Graduation Date). The system calculates the
time left until completion of the Applicant’s program and generates the start and end dates of applicable funding
contract years. The Applicant makes their selection of funding requests from these contract years.

STEPS
1.
2.
3.
4.

Applicant answers required fields.
Applicant reviews system-generated values: time left until completion of program, funding contract years,
and funding contract year dates.
Applicant selects checkbox for year they want to request funding.
Applicant selects Continue on Degree Information Dates card.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

PROPERTY OF HRSA | BHW

Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

BUSINESS RULES
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System shall require Applicant to enter the program start, program end, and graduation dates.
Both the program start and end dates cannot be in the past.
Program start, end and graduation dates cannot be the same date.
Program graduation date cannot be prior to program start and end date.
Program end date cannot be prior to the program start date.
Program end date cannot be beyond graduation date.
Program start date cannot be more than 5 years in the past.
Program start date cannot be beyond the upcoming fiscal year.
System shall calculate time left until completion with the difference between application cycle close date
and program end date.
Time left until completion will dynamically be updated when the program start, end and graduation dates
are updated/changed.
System shall calculate and display the funding contract year(s).
For each funding contract year, start date and end date will be defaulted to July 1st and June 30th.
System shall display the past funding contract years as read only and cannot be requested funding for.
System shall display checkbox against the funding contract year for Applicant to request funding for.
Applicant must request funding for the first funding contract year; i.e. the upcoming academic school
year.
Applicant can maximum request 4 years of funding.
Applicants must request funding for consecutive years.
System shall display the years of scholarship supported and service obligation table.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
The applicant must submit two letters of recommendation with his/her NHSC SP application. The first letter should
be from a faculty advisor, department chair or faculty member who can speak to the applicant’s qualifications. The
second letter should be from an individual who is familiar with the applicant’s professional, community, and/or
civic activities, particularly those related to underserved communities.

STEPS
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8.

Applicant inputs all required fields for Academic Letter of Recommendation.
Applicant selects Request Letter to send request to the contact provided for Academic Letter of
Recommendation.
Applicant selects Continue to see Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation card.
Applicant inputs all required fields for Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation.
Applicant selects Request Letter to send request to the contact provided for Non-Academic Letter of
Recommendation.
Applicant selects Continue on Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation card.
Applicant selects Save and Continue after both letters have been requested.
Applicant is directed to the Documents page.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS
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System shall not allow Applicant to input the following Emails:
a. Applicant’s BHW account email.
b. Same Email for both Academic Letter of Recommendation and Non-Academic Letter of
Recommendation.
System shall not allow Applicant to request Academic Letter of Recommendation and Non-Academic Letter
of Recommendation until all fields have been entered.
System shall not allow Applicant to Save and Continue to the next page until Applicant has requested both
Letter of Recommendations.
System shall allow Applicant sends one request for each Letter of Recommendation at a time.
System shall perform the following when the Request Letter button is selected for each Letter of
Recommendation:
a. Send request email to email provided.
b. Update status to “In Progress”.
c. Disable the Request Letter button and enable the Cancel this Recommendation button.
System shall allow Applicant to cancel each letter of recommendation request after it has been sent.
System shall perform the following when the Cancel this Recommendation button is selected for each
Letter of Recommendation:
a. Disable external Letter of Recommendation page sent in request email.
b. Update status to “Cancelled”.
c. Disable the Cancel this Recommendation button and enable the Request Letter button.
System shall update status of each Letter of Recommendation to “Complete” when the Recommender has
submitted their letter.

PROPERTY OF HRSA | BHW

Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION (EXTERNAL)
The Recommender will provide a letter of recommendation document for upload. They will upload the letter
online on the external Letter of Recommendation page. To access the external Letter of Recommendation page,
the Recommender will be given a unique hyperlink which is provided in the email notification they receive upon
the Applicant makes the request from the online application.

STEPS
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Recommender clicks hyperlink provided in recommendation request email to access the external Letter of
Recommendation page.
Recommender clicks Select or Drop File Here button or drags file to this button to begin upload process.
Recommender selects document they want to upload using file explorer. This step is skipped if file is
dragged and dropped onto Select or Drop File Here button.
Recommender selects document type for the file.
Recommender can enter an optional comment if desired.
Recommender clicks Upload to complete Letter of Recommendation request.

Academic Letter of Recommendation Upload Page (External)

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation Upload Page (External)

BUSINESS RULES
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System shall send an email notification to Recommender once Applicant requests a recommendation
Document Type must be selected to upload document.
a. System shall display Academic Letter of Recommendation document type to Recommender
requested to submit Academic Letter of Recommendation.
b. System shall display Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation document type to Recommender
requested to submit Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation.
System shall allow Recommender to upload document up to 5 MB in size.
System shall only allow Applicant to upload documents with file name consist of letters (a-z), dash (-), or
underscore (_).
System shall NOT allow the Recommender to remove document they have previously uploaded.
System shall allow the Recommender to re-upload the document multiple times should they wish to
change the uploaded document.
System shall display the most recent uploaded document.
System shall deactivate each external LOR page when any of the follow scenarios occur:
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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

•

a. Applicant who requested the letter of recommendation submitted their application
b. Applicant cancelled the request sent to Recommender
c. The application cycle closes at the submission deadline
System will notify Applicant the Academic Letter of Recommendation and Non-Academic Letter of
Recommendation have been completed through email.

Academic Letter of Recommendation - Uploaded Documents Section

Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation - Uploaded Documents Section
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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

DOCUMENTS
The Documents page allows the applicant to upload his/her required application documents. All required
documents must be uploaded. Applicants may upload additional supporting documents. Please note that some of
the documents displayed on the Documents page appear dynamically based on answers provided on the online
application.

STEPS
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Applicant clicks Select or Drop File Here button or drags file to this button to begin upload process.
Applicant selects document they want to upload using file explorer. This step is skipped if file was dragged
and dropped onto Select or Drop File Here button.
Applicant selects the document type(s) they would like to upload the file for.
Applicant can enter an optional comment if desired.
Applicant and clicks Upload button.
Applicant will repeat steps above for all required documents.
Applicant clicks Save & Continue button.
Applicant is directed to the Review Page.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

BUSINESS RULES
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All Applicants are required to upload the following documents:
a. Acceptance Report/Verification of Good Standing
b. Authorization to Release Information
c. Current Year Tuition and Fees Schedule
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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

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d. Essay
e. Proof of Citizenship
f. Unofficial Transcript
System shall require Applicant to upload the document for “Existing Service Obligation/Uniformed Service
Member” if the Applicant responded “Yes” to the eligibility question regarding having an existing service
obligation.
Applicants are encouraged to upload PDF documents.
System shall only allow Applicant to upload documents with file name consist of letters (a-z), dash (-), or
underscore (_).
System shall allow Applicant to upload documents up to 5 MB in size.
System shall allow Applicant to remove document(s) they have previously uploaded.
System shall allow a user to overwrite a previously uploaded document.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

REVIEW
The Review page displays a summary of the sections that make up the online application and the status of each
section. The Applicant can verify if any sections are not complete and prevent them from submitting their
application.

STEPS
1. Applicant reviews the status of the sections they have completed.
2. Applicant agrees and check the checkbox to the Review Acceptance statement.
3. Applicant is directed to the Certify and Submit page upon clicking the Certify to Submit button.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

BUSINESS RULES
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All pages and all required fields must be completed for Applicant to navigate to the Certify and Submit
page.
The following sections can have an “In Progress” status when Applicant has already answered fields on
the page:
o Academic Information: Applicant cannot continue to Certify and Submit page if they had to
create a school/degree request in the Academic Information section and the request has not yet
been approved.
o Letters of Recommendation: Applicant cannot continue to Certify and Submit page if both the
Academic Letter of Recommendation and Non-Academic Letter of Recommendation requests
have not been submitted by Recommenders.
Applicant must check the Review Acceptance checkbox to be allowed to continue to the Certify and
Submit screen.
If Applicant navigates away from the Review page or updates a page previously completed with Save and
Continue, the system shall reset the Review Acceptance checkbox.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

CERTIFY AND SUBMIT
The Certify and Submit page is the last page of the online application. The Applicant must agree to all selfcertification statements and input their correct password to submit their NHSC SP online application.

STEPS
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Applicant selects checkbox for each statement indicating their agreement.
Applicant enters their password.
Applicant clicks Submit button to submit completed application.

BUSINESS RULES
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System shall require Applicant to respond all three certification statements to be allowed to proceed.
System shall not allow application to be submitted after the application deadline.
System will clear the Certify and Submit page if Applicant navigates to another section of the online
application prior to submitting their application.
System shall validate Applicant has entered their correct password to submit the online application
successfully.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

SUBMITTED APPLICATION
After the Applicant submits their NHSC SP online application, they will be directed to the NHSC SP Submitted
landing page. The Applicant will see an application status of “Submitted” or “Submitted – Ineligible.” The Applicant
will have the ability to edit their application (before the submission deadline) and download a PDF of their
application from the Submitted landing page.

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Applicant is directed to the Submitted landing page upon a successful application submission.
Applicant can download their Application Summary Report in PDF from the submitted screen.
Applicant can edit their application by clicking Edit your Submitted Application button.
Applicant can withdraw their application by clicking Withdraw your Application button. See Withdraw for
additional steps
There are several possible reasons why an Applicant may be found ineligible. Some common reasons that
Applicants are found ineligible upon submission include, but not limited to:
a. The Applicant has an existing service obligation that has not been completely satisfied on or
before the submission date of the application.

NHSC SP Application Submitted Landing page – Submitted

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

NHSC SP Application Submitted Landing page – Submitted-Ineligible

BUSINESS RULES
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System shall display Edit your Submitted Application button when Application Cycle is open.
System shall not display Edit your Submitted Application button when Application Cycle is close.
System shall display Download Application PDF hyperlink.
System shall display Withdraw your Application when Application Cycle is open.
System shall not display Withdraw your Application when Application Cycle is close.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

WITHDRAW SUBMITTED APPLICATION (PRIOR TO APPLICATION DEADLINE)
If an Applicant would like to withdraw their application after submission, they may do so prior to the application
deadline.

STEPS
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Applicant selects Withdraw your Application button from the application submitted landing page.
Applicant selects Cancel button to exist the Withdraw Application pop up modal and no action is taken.
At the Withdraw Application pop up modal, Applicant selects Withdraw button to withdraw their
application.
Applicant is directed to Withdrawn submitted landing page.

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Applicant may withdraw their application by clicking on the “Withdraw your Application” button and then
a popup module will display.
o If Applicant decides to withdraw their application, then their status will be updated to
‘Withdrawn’, the popup window will close, and navigate the user to a withdrawn page.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide
o

Applicant will only be able to withdraw their application if they are in any of the following
statuses:
 SUBMITTED_REVIEW_NOT_STARTED
 SELECTED_FOR_REVIEW
 REVIEW_INELIGIBLE
 REVIEW_INCOMPLETE
 UNDER_DOCUMENT_REVIEW_AND_ELIGIBILITY
 UNDER_QUALITY_REVIEW
 UNDER_EXCEPTION_REVIEW
 AWAITING_SCORES_AWARD_AMOUNT
 ELIGIBLE_COI
 UNDER_REVIEW_VERIF
Only when the cycle is open can Applicant undo their withdrawn application by selecting the
Undo Withdrawn button. The applicant's status will then be updated from withdrawn to ‘In
Progress’ and navigate the user to the Welcome page.
 The applicant will need to resubmit their application (even if no edits or updates were
made).
 Note: All the information will be saved from the previous submit, but the applicant will
need to select the certify and submit checkboxes prior to resubmitting.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

EDIT SUBMITTED APPLICATION (PRIOR TO APPLICATION DEADLINE)
If the Applicant would like to edit their application after submission, they may do so prior to the application
deadline. If the Applicant edits their application, they must re-submit their application by the application deadline.
If the Applicant does not resubmit their application, they will not be considered for a NHSC SP award.

STEPS
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From the Submitted landing page, Applicant clicks the Edit your Submitted Application button, and a
popup modal will display.
Applicant will be directed to the Welcome page when they click Edit Application from the popup modal.
Applicant can navigate to any section of their application to make the necessary edits.
Once Applicant has made their edits, they must click Save & Continue button at the bottom of the page
where edits were made to properly capture and save the edits.
Once all edits are completed and saved, Applicant will navigate to the Review page to check the Review
Acceptance checkbox once again on the Review page.
Applicant navigates to the Certify & Submit page to complete all certifications.
Applicant enters their password.
Applicant selects Submit button and gets directed to the Submission landing page.

BUSINESS RULES
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System shall not allow Applicant to edit their application after the application cycle closes.
Applicant must successfully resubmit their application by the application deadline, otherwise their
application will not be considered for a NHSC SP award.

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Bureau of Health Workforce
NHSC SP Internal Online Application User Guide

RESOLVING ISSUES
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For Technical Issues:
a. Production Support Process: When a technical issue is encountered, e.g. Applicant cannot upload
their Transcript, the Customer Care Center should log the issue in the BMISS Issue Tracker. The
NHSC SP Application BMISS Hypercare team will monitor the BMISS Issue Tracker to define and
resolve the issue. Once the issue is resolved, the Hypercare team will notify the Customer Care
Center Analyst of the resolution.
b. Capturing Issues: It is important to capture and log as much detail as possible. The BMISS
Hypercare Support Team will need enough information to recreate the issue to solve the
problem. Applicant details should include the following:
• Applicant information: Full name, last four of SSN, email, phone number.
• The exact NHSC SP Online Application screen the Applicant was on when the issue
occurred (screenshot if applicable)
• The Web Browser the Applicant was using (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.)
• The frequency of the issue (e.g. always, sometimes, etc.)

2. For Program Related Issues:
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b.
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Division Support Process: If an Applicant has a program question, the Customer Care Center will
try to answer the problem by referring to the Application and Program Guidance. If the
Customer Care Center is unable to answer the question, then the Applicant’s question and
information are recorded, and the Customer Care Center submits a ticket in the Escalation
Management System (EMS). Nurse Corps analysts will answer the question and the Customer
Care Center responds back to the Applicant.
Online Application Program Issues: For program/policy related questions, please submit a ticket
in EMS.
Capturing Applicant Information: The following Applicant information should be captured with as
much detail of the issue as possible:
• First and Last Name.
• Email Address.
• Phone Number.
• Last four digits of SSN.
• Section of Online Application the user was on when they encountered the problem.
• Detailed summary of the problem.
• Supporting Document (if applicable).

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File Type	application/pdf
File Title	Site Point of Contact User Guide
Subject	Site POC Portal Guidelines to Functionality
Author	[email protected]
File Modified	2023-02-16
File Created	2023-02-10