NHSC NHSC vs. Full-Tuition Scholarship

[nucleispins]

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Hey all,

I am particularly interested in advice from people who did the NHSC scholarship vs. NHSC Loan Repayment.

I already received an amazing offer of a full-tuition scholarship to medical school with a stipend of 833/mo and subsidized health care.

Is there any point in applying for the NHSC Scholarship with such a generous award? The only reason I am thinking of it is because NHSC also covers fees, and has a slightly higher stipend.

Now that I am writing this out, it seems pretty foolish to apply for the NHSC Scholarship. The Loan Repayment might be nice down the line though for the loans I will have to take out to cover the remaining fees/cost-of-living.

I guess my main question is, if you already knew you wanted to do primary care in underserved areas, was there any major downside to accepting the NHSC Loan Repayment?

Thanks!!

 

[smq123]

Hey all,

I am particularly interested in advice from people who did the NHSC scholarship vs. NHSC Loan Repayment.

I already received an amazing offer of a full-tuition scholarship to medical school with a stipend of 833/mo and subsidized health care.

Is there any point in applying for the NHSC Scholarship with such a generous award? The only reason I am thinking of it is because NHSC also covers fees, and has a slightly higher stipend.

Now that I am writing this out, it seems pretty foolish to apply for the NHSC Scholarship. The Loan Repayment might be nice down the line though for the loans I will have to take out to cover the remaining fees/cost-of-living.

I guess my main question is, if you already knew you wanted to do primary care in underserved areas, was there any major downside to accepting the NHSC Loan Repayment?

Thanks!!

As you have already pointed out, there is no reason to take the NHSC scholarship when you already have a comparable scholarship. (Congratulations by the way!)

You apply for the loan repayment program after you have already started working for the FQHC or IHS-affiliated clinic. So if you still have loans after you graduate, you can certainly apply for the loan repayment program at that time.

 

[simpler2]

"I guess my main question is, if you already knew you wanted to do primary care in underserved areas, was there any major downside to accepting the NHSC Loan Repayment?"

None. If you are going to work in a clinic that qualifies for NHSC Loan Repayment and you have loans, then you should apply. You should ideally aim to pay the least amount possible back on your student loans as there are now many programs to help with loan forgiveness in addition to NHCS.

 

[Dhooy7]

What are some other options for loan repayment besides NHSC or Indian Health Service program?

 

[smq123]

What are some other options for loan repayment besides NHSC or Indian Health Service program?

Some hospital practices, especially in rural areas, will offer loan repayment as part of your compensation package.

 

[Dhooy7]

Some hospital practices, especially in rural areas, will offer loan repayment as part of your compensation package.

Thanks! I looked into military but didn't feel like it was the right choice for me.