Frequently Asked Questions

PRIMO

Who is eligible?
How do I apply?
Is there a deadline for applications?
What are the maximum loan amounts?
What are Primary Health Care Services?
How do I repay the loans?
What are areas of need?
Do you offer loans for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in a mental health field?

More Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Eligible For PRIMO?
To be eligible, the applicant must be a Missouri resident attending a Missouri institution as a full time student. Missouri residents are those who have lived in this state for more than one year for any purpose other than to attend an educational institution. Priority will be given to previous recipients (PRIMO Scholars), participants in PRIMO supported programs, residents of underserved areas and minority persons.

Applicants must have been accepted by or currently attending a school offering a course of study leading to a degree as:

1. A Doctor of Allopathic Medicine (M.D.)
2. A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
3. A Doctor of Dentistry (D.D.S.)
4. A Doctor of Psychiatry

OR

Applicants must have been accepted by or currently attending a school offering a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in a field leading to acceptance into a school of medicine.

OR

Applicants must have been accepted by or currently attending a school offering a Bachelor Of Science (B.S.) or Associate (A.A.) degree in dental hygiene preparing the applicant for successful completion of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the clinical examinations.

OR

Applicants must have been accepted into a graduate program leading to licensure as a clinical social worker, professional counselor, or psychologist.

OR

Applicants must have been accepted into an undergraduate or graduate program leading to licensure/registration as a dietitian/nutritionist.

How Do I Apply?
Applications can be obtained by downloading them from this website (Health Professional Student Loan Universal Application), or contact us.

Is There A Deadline For Application?
Applications are accepted between the dates of January 1 and midnight, June 30.

What are the maximum loan amounts?
Undergraduate students are those enrolled in an accredited Bachelor of Science or Associate degree programs in dental hygiene, pre-medicine, pre-dental or dietitian/nutritionist curriculum. Undergraduate students can receive up to $5,000 per year for full-time enrollment with a maximum of four loans.

• Medical school (Allopathic and Osteopathic) students are eligible for a maximum of four (4) loans, based on the amount of tuition, not to exceed $20,000 per academic year.
• Students in six (6) year medical programs may receive $10,000 per year for the first two (2) academic years of the program and are eligible for loans, based on the amount of tuition not to exceed $20,000 per academic year, the last four (4) years of the program.
• Physicians and dentists in primary care residency programs are eligible for loans of $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

What are Primary Health Care Services?
Primary health care services are the actual hands-on primary and preventive health care provided in a clinical outpatient setting by a:

• licensed physician specializing in family or general practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, general obstetrics/gynecology
• licensed general or pediatric dentist
• licensed dental hygienist
• licensed psychiatrist
• licensed psychologist
• licensed clinical social worker
• licensed professional counselor
• licensed/registered nutritionist/dietitian

How Do I Repay My Loan?
PRIMO loans can be repaid in one of two ways.  PRIMO Scholars can either earn forgiveness of their loans or repay them through lump-sum or monthly payments.

Forgiveness:
The exact start date of any repayment period will depend upon the PRIMO scholar’s program completion date.  PRIMO staff will be able to determine the exact start date for each scholar.  Primo Scholars will have contracted to repay their debt by working as a primary care provider in an area of defined need. PRIMO Scholars may select where to work as long as it meets the program’s qualifications. The number of PRIMO loans received determines the number of years needed to repay a debt through forgiveness. Forgiveness of PRIMO funding for less than five years will be on a year-for-year basis.  For those receiving funding for five years or more, forgiveness will be earned at the rate of 20 percent per year.  PRIMO Scholars will be expected to work full-time in order to earn forgiveness. Full-time is defined as providing primary care services (direct patient care) in a clinical outpatient setting a minimum of 30 hours per week. Prior to completion of training all participants must consult the Provider Recruitment and Retention Services Manager regarding available opportunities in Missouri.

PRIMO medical and dental scholars will be expected to comply with the following in order to earn forgiveness of their loans:

1. Participants will be required to work in a Geographic or Low Income Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) to earn forgiveness or their loans.
2. Participants must develop and use a sliding fee scale for medically indigent patients seen in their practice.
3. Participants must accept MO HealthNet and MC+ patients in their practice.
4. Participants must consider employment in a Community Health Center (CHC) or Public Health Department

Cash Repayment:
PRIMO Scholars do have the option of repaying their debt in cash. All Funds received by PRIMO Scholars accrue interest at the rate of 9.5 percent annually. Interest begins accruing from the date the payment is issued. Cash Repayment periods are a maximum of 60 months.

What is an area of need?
An area of need is a geographic area or a population that is experiencing a shortage of primary health care providers or has an inability to access primary health care providers. This includes those areas designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA’s).

Do you offer loans for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in a mental health field?
No, not at this time.  The program does not fund mental health students until they reach graduate level.