As part of our new
Workforce Initiative, ASCP has been researching federal and state loan forgiveness/repayment opportunities. ASCP has confirmed what most laboratory professionals already know: They lack access to the financial assistance offered to other healthcare professions.
While there are numerous programs available to physicians, nurses, and substance use disorder (SUD) professionals, there are very few loan forgiveness options for laboratory professionals. Where nurses have access to the
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Nurse Corps, among others, and substance use disorder professionals have access to the
NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program, there are no federal health profession-focused loan forgiveness programs broadly available to laboratory and allied health professionals. That said, lab professionals may be eligible for the
Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the
Indian Health Services Program, and the
Faculty Loan Repayment program. There are also some state programs for which laboratory professionals may qualify.
California and
North Carolina have programs that extend to members in the lab as well as other allied health professions.
As loan forgiveness options for laboratory professionals are woefully insufficient, ASCP is continuing to work with Congress and the Biden administration to extend eligibility to laboratory professionals. Several bills have been introduced in Congress recently, and ASCP is
working to support their enactment. Stay tuned for more news on this important issue.
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For more information regarding ASCP's advocacy initiatives and policy positions, please contact ASCP's Center for Public Policy at (202) 408-1110.
ASCP ePolicy News is supported by an unrestricted grant from Hologic.
