Vermont § 35 - Vermont Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program

§ 35. Vermont Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program

• (a) As used in this section: (1) “AHEC” means the Vermont Area Health Education Centers program. (2) “Eligible individual” means an individual who satisfies the eligibility requirements
  for loan repayment under this section. (3) “Eligible school” means an approved postsecondary education institution, as defined
  under 16 V.S.A. § 2822. (4) “Loan repayment” means the repayment of loans under this section. (5) “Loans” means education loans guaranteed, made, financed, serviced, or otherwise administered
  by an accredited educational lender for attendance at an eligible school. (6) “Program” means the Vermont Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program created
  under this section. (b) The Vermont Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program is created and shall be
  administered by the Department of Health in collaboration with AHEC. The Program provides
  loan repayment on behalf of individuals who live and work in this State as a nurse,
  physician assistant, medical lab technician, medical lab technologist, clinical laboratory
  scientist, child psychiatrist, or primary care provider and who meet the eligibility
  requirements in subsection (d) of this section. (c) The loan repayment benefits provided under the Program shall be paid on behalf of
  the eligible individual by AHEC, subject to the appropriation of funds by the General
  Assembly for this purpose. (d) To be eligible for loan repayment under the Program, an individual shall satisfy all
  of the following requirements: (1) have graduated from an eligible school where the individual was awarded a degree in
  nursing, physician assistant studies, medicine, osteopathic medicine, or naturopathic
  medicine, or a two- or four-year degree that qualifies the individual to be a medical
  lab technician, medical lab technologist, or clinical laboratory scientist; (2) work in this State as a nurse, physician assistant, medical lab technician, medical
  lab technologist, or clinical laboratory scientist, child psychiatrist, or primary
  care provider; and (3) be a resident of Vermont. (e)(1) An eligible individual shall be entitled to an amount of loan repayment under this
  section for a defined service obligation in Vermont of not less than one year. Employment
  as a traveling nurse shall not be construed to satisfy the service commitment required
  under this section. (2) AHEC shall award loan repayments in amounts that are sufficient to attract high-quality
  candidates while also making a meaningful increase in Vermont’s health care professional
  workforce. (f) 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 2021, No. 183 (Adj. Sess.), § 26, eff. July 1, 2022; amended 2023, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § E.311, eff. July 1, 2024.)