Behavioral health and primary care are essential services, but current workforce shortages across the Commonwealth burden both providers and patients. The MA Repay: BHPC Student Loan Repayment Program addresses these shortages by offering eligible professionals student loan repayment in exchange for a service commitment in an eligible setting.

how do i get my award?

Complete Your Contract

Review & sign your contract before the specified deadline.

Verify Your Information

Complete all forms and Eligibility Verification requests before the specified deadlines.

Award Disbursement

Your student loan repayment award will be disbursed directly to your loan servicer.

Maintain Eligibility

You must remain within the employment and service eligibility conditions outlined in your contract and notify the MA Repay Program prior to changing your employment status. Learn more below.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the MA Repay: BHPC Program, you must satisfy the below requirements:

Work in one of the following settings, located in Massachusetts:
- Community Health Centers (CHC)
- Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC)
- Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital
- Psychiatric Unit in an Acute Care Hospital

For a list of eligible organizations, click here. This is not an exhaustive list.‍

Work in one of the following job roles:
- Psychiatrist*
- Psychologist*
- Primary Care Physician*
- Inpatient Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Master's degree-level Mental Health or Primary Care Professional*
- Bachelor's degree-level Mental Health or Primary Care Professional*
- Inpatient Mental Health Worker with an associate's degree or no degree

*Eligible for Cohort One only. Cohort One signed Awardee Contracts before August 28, 2024.

For a list of eligible job roles, click here. This is not an exhaustive list.

Provide or supervise direct behavioral health or primary care services.
Have outstanding debt from a US financial institution related to your qualifying degree.
Are not participating in any other loan repayment programs. (Participation in federal public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) does not disqualify you from MA Repay.)

For more information on eligibility, refer to the Common Questions.

service commitment & award amounts

To maintain your eligibility for this program, you must complete a 4-year service commitment in an eligible setting.

Full-time commitment: Minimum of 35 hours per week for at least 45 weeks per service year.
Part-time commitment: Minimum of 20 hours per week (but not more than 34 hours per week) for at least 45 weeks per service year.

Professional Category

Maximum Full-Time Award

Maximum Part-Time Award

Psychiatrist*

Up to $300,000

Up to $150,000

Psychologist or Primary Care Physician*

Up to $150,000

Up to $75,000

Inpatient Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Up to $100,000

Up to $50,000

Master's Level Behavioral Health or Primary Care Professional*

Up to $50,000

Up to $25,000

Bachelor's Level Behavioral Health or Primary Care Professional

Up to $30,000

Up to $15,000

Inpatient Mental Health Workers

Up to $25,000

Up to $12,500

*Eligible Roles for Cohort One only. Cohort One signed contracts before August 28, 2024.

job changes

You may change your employer organization twice during your 4-year service commitment, provided the new employment is within an eligible organization.

You must notify the MA Repay Program prior to changing your employment status during your service commitment. This includes reduced working hours, new employer organization, unemployment, family and medical leave, etc.

For more information about job changes, please refer to the Cohort One or Cohort Two Policy Guide.

Behavioral health & Primary care

student loan repayment program

Reduce Your Educational Debt While Supporting Behavioral Health & Primary Care Services

Please note Cohort One signed Awardee Contracts before August 28, 2024. Cohort Two applied in 2024 and will receive award decisions in Spring 2025.

Questions about the MA REPAY: BHPC PROGRAM?

Future Updates