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What kind of projects will CROP grants support?
Educational Loan Repayment
Funds can be used to help with the reduction of healthcare worker educational loans. Healthcare workers include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, providers of mental and dental health services, allied health providers (for example lab or radiology technicians, and pharmacy.) The maximum amount of funding available is $10,000 each year. Applicants are eligible to apply for a second and third year of funding, but preference will be given to new applicants. A loan repayment award can be requested for retention – offered to a provider with loans already employed; or for recruitment – as an incentive in recruiting a new provider. (Contact CRHC to determine whether or not a specific type of provider is eligible.)
Do I need to have a provider identified and a contract before applying for loan repayment?
The provider him/herself does not have to be in place. Loan repayment grants can be requested for ‘recruitment’ purposes. CROP will “hold” awarded funds for up to one year while you recruit a provider. After the provider is recruited, you’ll need to provide us with their name and contact information and tell us how you recruited them (we’re always looking for good sources). Once they begin their employment, we’ll start counting the year of service required to earn the loan repayment grant.
When will I actually receive the grant award?
After one year of service from the date of awards. If you requested a ‘retention’ loan repayment award for provider already on site, the funds will be distributed after the provider has worked another year from the award date. If you requested a ‘recruitment’ loan repayment award, we will hold the award until you recruit a provider, then they work for a year from their date-of-hire.
To whom are the grant awards made?
After the year of service is completed, the grant award is made to the entity holding the loan.
Are there any other expectations?
If you are located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA – we can assist with determining this), you might be eligible for assistance with loan repayment from the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) either in addition to or instead of CROP. Since these programs can offer larger grant awards, and the federal program – if you qualify – requires no community match, we want to make sure you have looked into this program first.
How will my application be reviewed?
We will look over your application as soon as we receive it to make sure you included all the necessary information. We'll even send you a confirmation. A Grant Review Committee will review all the applications and decide which ones to fund. We will be in touch with their decision, and if you aren't funded, we'll tell you why. The applications will be judged on the merits of the application itself (complete, easy-to-read), the documented need for assistance, and the quality of the applicant's recruitment and retention efforts and plans.
If I have additional questions?
Please contact CRHC at 303-832-7493 or 1-800-851-6782 (from a rural area) if you have any questions about the enclosed materials, the process, or CROP in general.
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