Vermont § 32 - Educational loan repayment for health care professionals

§ 32. Educational loan repayment for health care professionals

• (a) The Department of Health shall make funds available to the University of Vermont College
  of Medicine area health education centers (AHEC) program for loan repayment awards.
  The Commissioner may require certification of compliance with this section prior to
  the making of an award. (b) AHEC shall administer awards in such a way as to comply with the requirements of Section 108(f) of the Internal Revenue Code. (c) AHEC shall make loan repayment awards in exchange for service commitment by health
  care professionals and health care educators and shall define the service obligation
  in a contract with the health care professional or health care educator. Payment awards
  shall be made directly to the educational loan creditor or lender of the health care
  professional or health care educator. (d) Loan repayment awards shall only be available for a health care professional or health
  care educator who: (1) is a Vermont resident; (2) serves Vermont; (3) accepts patients with coverage under Medicaid, Medicare, or other State-funded health
  care benefit programs, if applicable; and (4) has outstanding educational debt acquired in the pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate
  degree from an accredited college or university that exceeds the amount of the loan
  repayment award. (e) Additional eligibility and selection criteria will be developed annually by the Commissioner
  in consultation with AHEC and may include local goals for improved service, community
  needs, or other awarding parameters. (f) The Commissioner may adopt rules in order to implement the program established in
  this section. (g) As used in this section: (1) “Health care educator” shall mean an individual employed by or contracted by an accredited
  postsecondary institution in Vermont to teach in a health care profession educational
  program. (2) “Health care professional” means an individual licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized
  by law to provide professional health care services in this State to an individual
  during that individual’s medical, mental health, or dental care; treatment or confinement;
  or in a public health role. (h) Loan repayment shall be awarded on a rolling basis, provided funds are available,
  and any funds remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall carry forward and shall
  be available to the Department of Health and AHEC in the following fiscal year to
  award additional loan repayment as set forth in this section. (Added 2005, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 331; amended 2019, No. 155 (Adj. Sess.), § 7(b), eff. Nov. 1, 2020; 2023, No. 6, § 89, eff. July 1, 2023; 2023, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 38, eff. July 1, 2024; 2023, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § E.311, eff. July 1, 2024.)