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Statement of Purpose

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) utilizes funds to assist rural communities in recruiting health care providers, other than physicians, to practice in their community by providing partial student loan reimbursements or stipend payments to non-physicians. The Rural Communities Health Care Investment Program (RCHIP) utilizes funds from a permanent endowment established from the tobacco settlement for the State of Texas and authorized under TEX. GOV'T CODE Sec. 487.558. The authority for this program is provided in Texas Government Code Chapter 487, Subchapter M, and Texas Administrative Code Chapter 30, Subchapter B.

The SORH awards $10,000 student loan repayment/stipends to eligible, non-physician, licenses healthcare providers in response to the recruitment and retention needs of medically underserved areas (MUA) in Texas. Selected participants must agree to work, and complete, a 12-month service obligation in a qualifying community to receive the student loan repayment/stipend.

Licenses, non-physician healthcare providers practicing in a Texas county with a total population of 50,000 or less may to apply. 

Who are eligible recipients for funding?
Licenses, non-physician healthcare providers are eligible if they meet the requirements below: 

1. Hold a Texas license, permit, or other form of authorization required by state law or regulation to work in a health care profession (herein collectively referred to as a “license”); and 

2. Either:

a. Received their license in the field under which this application is submitted within the last 24 months [2 years] prior to the application deadline date; or 

b. Practiced in a county with more than 150,000 people and has moved or will move to practice in a qualifying community in the field under which this application is submitted (applicant may not have been residing or practicing in the qualifying community for more than 12 months [1 year] prior to the application deadline); and 3. Agree to work for a 12-month service period at the eligible healthcare facility. Eligible healthcare facilities are those located in an MUA