Step 1: Prepare for NHSC Service

As a National Health Service Corps Scholar (NHSC) Scholar or Student to Service (S2S) awardee, you must begin employment within (6) months from graduation or end of training at a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) site with a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score that meets your service obligation by your respective program and discipline.

Your employment search process and converting you from student/training to a licensed clinician working toward your service obligation is officially referred to as the NHSC Transition to Service Process. NHSC provides administrative support throughout this process to ensure you successfully fulfill your service obligation. However, you are responsible for communicating with potential employers and obtaining a job offer.

Follow the NHSC Transition to Service step-by-step guidance to successfully conduct your employment search and comply with all program requirements.

To prepare for service, you must:

1. Communicate with the NHSC using the BHW Customer Service Portal.
2. Review your NHSC service commitment.
3. Understand NHSC-approved sites.
4. Understand Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores and how they impact your service obligation.

Communicate with the NHSC

• As a scholar, you will receive a message in the BHW Customer Service Portal notifying you of the assigned Question (ID#) that you will use for all employment-related correspondence.
• Alerts from noreply@hrsa.gov are sent to your personal email, notifying you of a new portal message.

• Use this Question (ID#) in the BHW Customer Service Portal to communicate with an NHSC regional analyst. The regional analyst will provide administrative support, monitor your employment search progress, and answer all employment-related questions throughout your Transition to Service process.

  Note: If you have other questions (such as programmatic, disbursements, or half-time conversion requests), go to Ask a Question in the BHW Customer Service Portal.

• To communicate directly with a regional analyst using the Question (ID#):

  1. Go to Activities/Activity Type/Question (ID#). 

     
  2. Select Contact Us at the bottom of the page to directly reply to the NHSC analyst.
• Use the BHW Customer Service Portal to update personal contact information, upload employment documents, and request site visit travel, relocation, and reimbursement.

Review your service commitment

• Begin employment at an NHSC-approved site no later than six months from graduation or end of training, as stated in your signed NHSC contract.
• Ensure that the NHSC-approved site has a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score that matches your HPSA Score Requirements by program:
  • NHSC Scholarship Program: HPSA score requirements by discipline & class year
  • Student to Service (S2S) Loan Repayment Program scholars: HPSA score of 14 or above
• Refer to your program’s Application and Program Guidance (APG) to obtain a complete understanding of your commitment, service commitment requirements to include work hours, financial liabilities, and legal obligations as stated in the NHSC program statute and contract.
  • Student to Service Loan Repayment Program (PDF - 594 KB)
  • National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (PDF - 554 KB)

Understand NHSC-approved sites

• NHSC sites are only outpatient clinics or Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
• To become an NHSC-approved site, a site must initially apply for approval and recertify every three years to remain in the program. Learn more about the NHSC New Site Application and Recertification requirements.
• Some sites are auto approved and do not have to apply for recertification. These site types include:
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
  • FQHC Look-Alikes
  • American Indian health facilities
  • Federal correctional or detention facilities

Understand HPSA scores and how they impact your service obligation

• As part of your service obligation, you must work at NHSC-active site located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). HPSA score requirements vary by program.
• Review HPSA Score Requirements by program:
  • NHSC Scholarship Program: HPSA score requirements
  • Student to Service (S2S) Loan Repayment Program scholars: HPSA score of 14 or above
• NHSC does not offer exceptions to HPSA score requirements. If the site does not have your HPSA score requirement, you cannot work there.
• HPSA scores are federally designated in conjunction with each state and county, are subject to change, and range from 0 (least need) to 26 (highest need).
• The three types of HPSA categories are Primary Care, Dental, and Mental Health.
• A site must have an eligible HPSA score for your respective discipline. For example, a dentist must work at a site with a Dental HPSA score.
• HPSA scores are listed on each site record in the Health Workforce Connector.
• You can also search for HPSA scores using HPSA Find. Go to Tools, Shortage Area by Address.

Contact us

Call 1-800-221-9393
(TTY: 1-877-897-9910) M – F, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET
(except federal holidays)
Email us or GetHelp@hrsa.gov
BHW Customer Service Portal, select Ask a Question