Health Professions Loans, Scholarships, and Reporting

EASFAA 2009 Annual ConferenceMay 19, 2009Scholarship and Loan Program ManagersHealth Resources and Services AdministrationBureau of Health ProfessionsDivision of Student Loans and ScholarshipsCampus Based Branch

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Today’s Presentation

Agency/Bureau Overview Overview of Campus Based Branch Programs

Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) Primary Care Loan (PCL) Loans for Disadvantaged Students (LDS) Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Nursing Student Loan (NSL) Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

Electronic Handbook Annual Operating Report (AOR) Edit Errors

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Bureau Overview

BHPr Mission:Increase the population’s access to health care by providing national leadership in the development, distribution and retention of a diverse, culturally competent health workforce that can adapt to the population’s changing healthcare needs and provide the highest quality of care for all.

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New Faces

Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN Administrator, HRSA

Marcia K. Brand, PhD Deputy Administrator, HRSA

Diana Espinosa Acting Associate Administrator, BHPr

Sarah L. Richards Director, DSLS

Maureen J. Williams Chief Operating Director, DSLS

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Bureau of Health Professions

Office of the Associate Administrator

Division of Nursing

Division of Medicine

and Dentistry

Division of Practitioner Data Banks

Primary Care Medical Education

Branch

Division of Diversity and

Interdisciplinary Education

Division of Student Loans and

Scholarships

Advance Nursing Education Branch

Diversity & Basic Nurse Education

Branch

Dentistry, Psychology and Special

Projects Branch

Graduate Medical Education Branch

Campus Based Branch

Health Education Assistance Loan

Branch

Geriatrics & Public Health

Branch

Area Health Education Center

Branch

Diversity Branch

Policy and Analysis Branch

Research/Disputes Branch

Operations and Administration

Branch

Program Support Staff

Office of Workforce Policy and Performance

Management

2008 Reorganization

Office of Shortage Designation

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Primary Care Loan

Requires: Medical and osteopathic students

who receive these funds to practice primary health care.

Institutions to make a 1/9th contribution based on PCL draw down of Federal funds.

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PCL -- Requirements

Not less than 50 percent of the school’s designated graduates meet the criterion of either being in a primary health care residency training program or being engaged in the practice of primary health care; or

Not less than 25 percent of the school’s designated graduates meet the above criterion, and this percentage is not less than 5 percentage points above the percentage of such criterion for the preceding one-year period; or

The school in in the top 25th percentile of participating PCL schools relative to the proportion of designated graduates who meet the above criterion.

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Health Professions Student Loan Program

Established to alleviate the shortage of health professionals and to assure that qualified students were not denied a health professions career due to lack of financial resources.

HPSL provides long-term, low interest loans to full time students with financial need pursuing a degree in health professions.

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Health Professions Student Loan Program

Initially funded through appropriations from Congress is now maintained through a revolving Federal Capital Contribution (FCC).

Institutions must make a 1/9th contribution of Federal funds awarded.

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Eligible Disciplines

Dentistry

Optometry

Pharmacy

Podiatric Medicine

Veterinary Medicine

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Loans for Disadvantaged Students

Provides financial assistance for health professions students from disadvantaged backgrounds with financial need.

Funds are awarded to accredited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, and veterinary medicine.

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LDS – Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements:

Recruit and retain disadvantaged students;

Recruit and retain minority faculty;

Provide adequate instruction regarding minority health issues;

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LDS- Eligibility Requirements, Continued

Establish arrangements with clinics serving individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds;

Establish linkages with feeder schools; and

Offer mentoring programs to help individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds obtain health professions degrees.

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Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students

Established along with LDS to provide scholarships to full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds that show financial need and are enrolled in health professions and nursing programs.

Schools are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, making reasonable determinations of need, and providing scholarships that do not exceed the cost of attendance (tuition, reasonable educational and living expenses).

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Eligible SDS Disciplines Allopathic Medicine Osteopathic Medicine Dentistry Optometry Podiatric Medicine Veterinary Medicine Chiropractic Medicine Pharmacy (Baccalaureate or Graduate) Public Health (Graduate) Dental Hygiene (Baccalaureate & Graduate) Medical Laboratory Technology (Baccalaureate) Speech Pathology (Baccalaureate & Graduate) Registered Dietician (Baccalaureate & Graduate) Radiologic Laboratory (Baccalaureate) Audiology (Baccalaureate & Graduate)

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Eligible SDS Disciplines, Continued

Occupational Therapy (Graduate) Physical Therapy (Graduate) Clinical Psychology (Graduate) Clinical Social Work (Graduate) Marriage and Family Counseling (Graduate) Rehabilitation Counseling (Graduate) Gerontology Counseling (Graduate) Mental Health Counseling (Graduate) Associate Nursing Baccalaureate Nursing Graduate Nursing Physician Assistant Training

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SDS Performance-based Eligibility Criteria

Schools are eligible if they can demonstrate:

10% disadvantaged enrollment in Academic Year

And

10% disadvantaged graduates in Academic Year.

In addition, must have economically disadvantaged students enrolled and graduated during the reporting year.

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SDS Funding Priorities

To receive consideration for larger amounts of funding, schools must have at least:

50 percent of their graduates practicing in Primary Care,

10 percent of their graduates serving in Medically Underserved Communities, or

A percent of underrepresented minorities that is above the national average for the discipline for which the school is applying.

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Nursing Student Loan

Established to alleviate the shortage of nursing personnel and to assure that no qualified student was denied the pursuit of a nursing career due to lack of financial resources.

Provides long-term, low-interest loans to full-time and part-time students pursuing a course of study leading to a diploma, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or graduate degree in nursing

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Nursing Student Loan

The annual maximum amount a student may borrow is $2,500. For students enrolled in their last two years of study, the annual loan maximum is $4,000. The aggregate amount may not exceed $13,000 for all years of study.

Repayment of loan begins 9 months after leaving school.

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NSL Programs – High Default Rates

In accordance with the Campus Based Branch loan program statute and regulations, schools are required to: Meet a 5% default rate performance

standard on June 30th of each year, and Complete an AOR Report each year.

Failure to maintain the default rate below the 5% rate results in probation, suspension, and finally termination from program participation.

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Probation

During the PROBATION period there are no restrictions on the normal activities of the fund. Rather, PROBATION puts your school on notice that the program has a default rate over the 5% threshold and that the school should work with its guarantor to make reductions toward an acceptable default rate

The school is generally given until December 31st of the same year to achieve a 5% default rate or reduce its ending default rate by 50%. If this default rate is not met by December 31st, the school’s status in the program will change from PROBATION to SUSPENSION, effective January 1st of the next year.

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Suspension Programs placed in SUSPENSION are:

Ineligible to receive new Federal Capital Contribution (FCC) awards;

Not authorized to draw down funds from the Payment Management System (PMS); and

Not authorized to make loan disbursements from the loan fund.

Programs placed in SUSPENSION as of January 1st

must reach a 5% default rate or reduce their default rate by 50% by June 30th of the new year.

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Termination

Programs in SUSPENSION, which fail to achieve the specified reductions, will automatically be TERMINATED on July 1st of the new year.

TERMINATED programs are barred from participation in the Federal Capital Contribution program.

The terminated program must remit funds back to the Federal government in accordance with the guidance procedures found in the Student Financial Aid Guidelines.

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Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) - Strategic Goals

Promotes recruitment of nursing students to become nurse faculty;

Provides financial support for students enrolled in an advanced education nursing program to prepare qualified nurse faculty; and

Retains loan recipients as nurse faculty by providing loan cancellation over a consecutive four-year period.

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Accredited collegiate school of nursing or another entity within that institution that offers a graduate-level nursing degree program preparing qualified nurse faculty.

NFLP- Eligible Entity

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The NFLP fund may be used only:

For the deposit of the FCC and ICC, or

To make loans to students enrolled in a master’s or doctoral nursing degree program with an education component that will prepare the student to teach.

NFLP Loan Fund

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Student Requirements

NFLP students:

Must enroll for a minimum of two consecutive terms/semesters for each year of NFLP loan support; and

Must complete the specified education component to prepare qualified nurse faculty prior to graduating from the program.

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NFLP Loan Provisions

Students may borrow a maximum of $30,000/year for no more than 5 years of support.

NFLP* loans may be used to cover full/partial tuition, fees, books, laboratory expenses, and other reasonable education expenses.

* NFLP is not a need-based program.

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NFLP Loan Cancellation

Following completion of the education

program, NFLP loan recipients may

cancel up to 85% of the total NFLP

loan and interest over a consecutive

four-year period while serving as full-

time faculty at a school of nursing.

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NFLP Loan Cancellation, continued

NFLP loan recipients may receive cancellation of up to 85% of the loan principal and interest.

20% cancellation upon completion of each 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of employment as full-time faculty.

25% cancellation upon completion of the 4th year of employment as full-time faculty.

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NFLP Interest Rates

NFLP loans bear interest at an

incentive rate of 3% per year,

beginning three months after

completion of the program.

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NFLP loans bear interest at the prevailing market rate if the borrower:

Ceases to be enrolled; or

Does not establish employment as nurse faculty or ceases to be employed as nurse faculty over a consecutive 4-year period following the 9 month grace period.

NFLP Interest Rates, continued

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Grants.gov application submission (Phase 1) SF 424 R&R Checklist

EHBs application submission (Phase 2) Program Specific Form Abstract and Narrative Assurances Required Attachments/Documentation

How to Apply

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SDS One Application per institution (campus) Multiple Disciplines in one application Separate subsection for each discipline Application cannot be submitted until all

disciplines are completed Authorizing Official approves and submit all

applications at one time

Application for SDS

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Application for NFLP

NFLP

One Application per institution (campus)

Authorizing Official approves and submits the application

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ResourcesSDS & NFLP Resources Type Purpose

http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/default.htm Website HRSA Funding Opportunities and Application Guidance Material

http://www.grants.gov or by phone at 1-800-518-4726

Website; Phone

Grants.gov URL and phone number for assistance with application.

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp

Website Grants.gov Registration

https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/home.asp

Website HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) Login and Registration

http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/userguide.htm

Website HRSA’s Electronic Submission Guide (HTML and PDF version)

HRSA Call Center

Phone: 877-Go4-HRSA/877-464-4772; or 301-998-7373 (9:00 AM to 5:30 PM ET M-F)

Email: callcenter@hrsa.gov

Phone; Email

Assistance with electronic application process in the HRSA/EHBs. Program questions should be addressed to the Project Officer/Grants Specialist.

HPSL, PCL, NSL & LDS will still be handled through the WRS.

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Reporting

The Annual Operating Report (AOR) is used to monitor and evaluate institutional performance, and report expenditures for the funds.

The AOR is submitted annually and covers the period from July 1st through June 30th.

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Annual Operating Report (AOR)

Demonstrates how schools allocate and distribute loan funds to students during a particular academic year.

Provides accountability to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for schools managing HHS student loan programs.

Is available for annual submissions on July 1, and must be submitted annually by August 15.

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AOR Edit Report

Where do I find the current AOR Edit Error Report ?

Web Reporting System at: http://wrs.hrsa.gov

Main Menu

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Where Are Common Errors?

Page 1: Student borrower data section.

Page 2: Cumulative and current year cash balances.

Page 3: Cumulative principal & write-offs.

Page 5: Default rate.

Page 6: Principal loaned & principal repaid totals.

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SDS Performance/Progress Report (SDSPR)

• Amount of disbursement

• Recipients number and their racial/ethnicity breakdown

• Recipients that graduated during the reporting year by racial/ethnicity

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Race and Ethnicity

The AOR and the SDSPR will collect race and ethnicity data following new OMB requirements.

Ethnicity will be collected separately from race.

Specific multi-race data will be collected.

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Race and Ethnicity (cont’d) Ethnicity:

Hispanic or Latino Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino

Race: American Indian or Alaska Native Asian (not underrepresented) Asian (underrepresented) Black or African American Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders White More than one race

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Race and Ethnicity (cont’d)

After data on ethnicity is entered, a table will appear to allow you to input data on race for each ethnic group of students.

The table will allow, but not require, you to enter specific multi-race data this year. The system will provide choices of combinations of two, three, four or five races.

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BHPr Scholarship and Loan Information Website: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa

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Contact Information

Jim Essel, Acting Branch Chief JEssel@hrsa.gov

Denise Thompson, Project Officer, NFLP DThompson@hrsa.gov

Christine Brazell, Project Officer, NSL CBrazell@hrsa.gov

Lesa Bandy, Project Officer, SDS & LDS LBandy@hrsa.gov

Cynthia Johnson, Co-Project Officer, HPSL CJohnson@hrsa.gov

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Contact InformationBHPr Scholarship and Loan ManagersHealth Resources and Services AdministrationBureau of Health ProfessionsDivision of Student Loans and ScholarshipsCampus Based BranchNew Address:5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-105Rockville, MD 20857

dpolicy@hrsa.gov or 1-888-ASK-HRSAPhone: 301-443-4776Fax: 301-443-0846

Thank You!