Loan repayment program for West Virginia University MPH Students
Attn: School of Public Health MPH Students
The Health Sciences Service Program, administered by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, is now accepting applications. The Health Sciences Service Program is a loan repayment program for public health students interested in practicing in underserved communities in West Virginia. In exchange for receiving the loan repayment award, participants agree to work for two years full-time or four years part-time at an eligible work site.
Current WVU master’s in public health students are eligible for a $15,000 loan repayment award (to be split into two $7,500 disbursements). The worksites that are eligible are:
- Out-patient primary care sites located within the geographically eligible area of the Service Areas Map (see Primary Care Service Obligation Handbook)
- Free clinics located anywhere in the state.
- Federally Funded Comprehensive Behavioral Health Centers located anywhere in the state.
- The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Central Office in Charleston including but not limited to the Bureau for Public Health and other applicable DHHR bureaus/offices.
- Additionally, the following types of sites if located within an eligible area of the Service Areas List and map:
- A local health department.
- An out-patient primary care practice.
- Employment at additional sites where the primary job function is epidemiology, patient navigation or program outreach may be approved on a case by case basis.
All required application materials are due October 15, 2021. The application collects information about you, your training and your interest in practicing public health in an underserved area. It also requires two letters of recommendation and a certification of your enrollment in your training program.
Awards are made by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Health Sciences, based on a competitive process and the recommendations of an advisory panel. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and commitment to practicing in an underserved area of West Virginia. Other selection factors include background or family ties in an underserved area, and work or living experience in an underserved area. Applicants who are West Virginia residents will be given preference.
Interested students should visit College For West Virginia for the application materials. For any questions, please contact Michelle Ruppert at HSSP@wvhepc.edu.
Students can also contact Dr. Erik Carlton for more information.
Download the Health Sciences Service Program flyer.
Download the Health Sciences Service Program application packet.