The Oregon Primary Health Care Loan Forgiveness application will be posted here in early November 2025. 

Click here for PCLF FAQs 

If selected, students may receive funding to cover one or more years of tuition and fees for their healthcare education program. Awards may cover full tuition and fees but cannot exceed the highest resident tuition rates at publicly funded health professional training programs in Oregon.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for PCLF, students must:

• Be enrolled in an academic institution that does not and will not discriminate based on age, ancestry, disability, race, color, citizenship, national origin, creed, political or religious affiliation, sex (including pregnancy-related conditions), familial or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, unfavorable military discharge, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by law; AND

• Be in good academic standing; AND

• Be participating in the Oregon AHEC Scholars Program or accepted into an approved Oregon rural training track (e.g., Western University D.O. program); AND

• Be prepared to begin practicing primary care at an approved rural site within 90 days of graduation or completion of residency (if applicable).

Primary Care Definition (for PCLF)

• Physicians: Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, General Pediatrics, General Surgery, Community Psychiatry, Gerontology, OB/GYN

• Physician Associates/Assistants: Same as above

• Nurse Practitioners: Family, Adult, Nurse Midwife, Gerontology, Pediatric, Psychiatric Mental Health

• Dentists: General Adult and General Pediatric Dentistry

• Pharmacists: General Pharmacy and Psychiatric Pharmacy

Post-Training Service Requirements

Upon completion of their training, PCLF recipients must:

• Begin practicing in primary care at an approved rural Oregon site within 90 days of graduation or residency completion (if applicable); AND

• Commit to one year of clinical service at an approved rural site for each year of funding received; AND

• Provide at least 32 hours per week of direct patient care at the approved site for the duration of their service obligation.

Approved Practice Site Criteria

A PCLF-approved practice site must:

• Be located in a rural area, as designated by the Oregon Office of Rural Health; AND

• Be in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), Medically Underserved Area (MUA), or an Area of Unmet Need; OR

• Be open to serving at least the same percentage of Medicare and/or Medicaid patients as the county average (site must be rural); AND

• Have a valid Site Application on file with the Oregon Office of Rural Health, dated within the past year.

PCLF Participant Responsibilities

While in School
PCLF participants must:

• Remain actively enrolled in the Oregon AHEC Scholars Program or an approved Oregon rural training track (e.g., Western University D.O. program); AND

• Maintain full-time enrollment and remain in good academic standing.

If a participant experiences an extreme circumstance requiring a leave of absence, they must contact the Oregon Office of Rural Health as soon as possible.

After Graduation
PCLF participants are required to:

• Begin practicing primary care at an approved rural Oregon site within 90 days of graduation or completion of residency (if applicable); AND

• Complete one year of clinical primary care service at an approved rural Oregon site for each year of funding received; AND

• Provide a minimum of 32 hours per week of direct patient care at their approved site for at least 48 weeks out of each 52-week service year; AND

• Promptly notify the Oregon Office of Rural Health of any changes to employment status or contact information.

• PCLF FAQ