The University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (UK CERH) is accepting applications for the Healthcare Worker Loan Relief Program of the Commonwealth (HWLRPC), a funding opportunity designed to strengthen Kentucky’s healthcare workforce by supporting the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in underserved communities. Selected applicants may receive up to $100,000 in student loan repayment, with award amounts based on factors including provider type, level of loan indebtedness and service in a designated health professions shortage area.
The HWLRPC was established during the 2022 convening of the Kentucky General Assembly as HB 573, and administered by the UK CERH in Hazard, to increase the recruitment and retention of health care professionals to practice in underserved areas of Kentucky.
According to a report from the UK CERH, since the HWLRPC’s inception, it has provided $3.8 million in loan relief to professionals practicing in 31 Kentucky counties. More than 60 providers representing over a dozen disciplines are participating in the loan relief program.
“The Healthcare Worker Loan Relief Program of the Commonwealth has had a tremendous positive impact in rural and underserved communities in Kentucky, enabling us to retain and expand the number of health care professionals, fill gaps in care, and complement the existing federally funded state loan repayment,” said UK CERH Interim Director Mace Baker.
The HWLRPC is geared toward trained and licensed professionals who provide direct patient care in one of the program’s eligible disciplines and specialties, including physicians, optometrists, ophthalmologists, audiologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, registered nurses, dentists, registered dental hygienists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, health service psychologists, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurse specialists, alcohol and substance use disorder counselors and pharmacists.
Applicants selected to participate in the competitive program are required to work 24- 40 hours a week over a two-three-year period. Participants receive tax-free student loan repayment in exchange for their service commitment. The program helps strengthen Kentucky’s health care workforce by supporting providers who are committed to serving communities with limited access to care.
Additional requirements include serving in an officially designated health professions shortage area and working at an eligible practice site. Examples of eligible sites include federally qualified health centers, community health centers, rural health clinics, community mental health facilities, state and county health departments, free clinics, private practices, and critical access hospitals affiliated with a qualified outpatient clinic.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. EST, Friday, October 30, 2026.
Apply or learn more about applicant eligibility, clinical site eligibility, and program guidelines at https://medicine.uky.edu/centers/ruralhealth/healthcare-worker-loan-rel…, or contact Sierra Williams at HWLRPCommonwealth@uky.edu or 606-439-3557.