The Expanded Behavioral Health (EBH) Student Loan Repayment program is designed to address the shortage of behavioral health professionals across the Commonwealth. By providing loan repayment awards to professionals, the MA Repay program promotes the recruitment and retention of a diverse and well-trained behavioral health workforce.

why apply?

If you commit to four years of service providing behavioral health care in an eligible setting, you may receive up to $300,000 in student loan repayment.

By participating, you will:

Receive relief from your educational debt
Contribute to enhancing behavioral health services in underserved areas
Help bridge the gap in access to quality behavioral health care, ensuring that more patients across the Commonwealth can receive the support they need

Application Launch Date: August 28, 2024
Application Close Date: September 25, 2024, at 9:00 PM EST

who can apply?

You may be eligible if you:

Work in one of the following settings:
- Community Health Centers (CHCs)
- Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs)
- Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals
- Acute Care Hospitals
- Outpatient Treatment Facilities
- Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs
- Programs assessing and treating children with co-occurring developmental needs
- State or state-contracted programs, including school-based settings
- Settings serving justice-involved populations

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

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

Award Amounts ‍

Professional Category

Maximum Full-Time Award

Maximum Part-Time Award

Psychiatrists

Up to $300,000

Up to $150,000

Physicians Providing Behavioral Health Care at CHCs and Psychologists

Up to $150,000

Up to $75,000

Master's Degree-Level Professionals

Up to $50,000

Up to $25,000

Bachelor's Degree-Level Professionals

Up to $30,000

Up to $15,000

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners

Up to $100,000

Up to $50,000

Mental Health Workers with an Associate's Degree or no degree

Up to $25,000

Up to $12,500

service commitment

You must agree to a four-year part time or full-time 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

You may change organizations twice during your service commitment, provided the new employment is at an eligible organization.

how to apply

Steps:

Review the Common Questions for more information on the application process
Register to apply
After registering, you will receive a link to the application via email
Complete and submit an application before September 25, 2024 at 9 PM EST

Awards will be announced in Spring 2025.

Applicants who apply through the online application may be considered for all open MA Repay programs based on their eligibility and available program funding. Therefore, applicants should not submit more than one application. To learn more about other open MA Repay programs, click here.

Expanded Behavioral health

student loan repayment program

Reduce Your Educational Debt While Supporting Behavioral Health Services

Questions about the loan repayment program?

Future Updates