Loan repayment with a mission
Apply for a loan repayment incentive in exchange for serving in a clinical practice at a VA facility in an eligible specialty.
About the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program (SELRP)
The Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program (SELRP) provides a financial incentive in the form of a loan repayment to recent graduates of an accredited medical or osteopathic school. Recipients must be currently enrolled or matched to a residency identified as a shortage by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). You can find eligible specialties listed below.
Recipients receive a loan repayment of $40,000 a year, with a maximum of $160,000. In return, recipients serve in a clinical practice at a VA facility for 12 months for each year of loan repayment, with a minimum of 24 months of obligated service. Preferences will be given to Veterans and individuals who participate in residencies in health facilities supporting rural communities; operated by Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or the Indian Health Service; or affiliated with underserved VA health care facilities.
Application Requirements
- Be a U.S. citizen and pass a background investigation.
- Graduate from a U.S. accredited medical school or a school accredited by The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
- Be appointed to the occupation for which you were trained.
- Be currently enrolled in or matched to a residence receiving training in an eligible specialty:
- Psychiatry
- Family Practice
- Internal Medicine
- Geriatric Medicine
- Have two or more years remaining in a residency or fellowship.
- Agree to obtain a license to practice medicine and complete training leading to board eligibility or certification within the specialty trained.
- Agree to a service obligation of at least two years.
- Have eligible student debt equal to or more than the amount of the repayment.
- Application (10-255A, completed by the applicant)
- Application (10-255B, Residency Program Verification)
- Application (10-255C, Education Loan Verification)
- Recommendation letters:
- Required for all: Residency Program Director
- Required for all: Residency Faculty Member
- Required if VA employee: Supervisor
- Required if not matched to a residency: Medical School Dean
- Resume or CV
- Medical School Transcript with degree conferred date
- Copy of Medical School Diploma
- National Student Loan Data (NSLD)
- DD214 (current and former service members)
- SF50 (current and former VA employees)
How to apply for SELRP
The SELRP application cycle is open May 1 through July 31 of each year.
- Create your account in the Application Management System (AMS). Use 1 user profile and provide 2 email addresses for communication.
- Prepare documents based on your specialty.
- Start early and complete each task on time; some items require coordination with your school or other entities.
- Submit by the deadline. If you edit after submitting, file an addendum and ensure all items are complete before the window closes.
- Complete the online application. Paper, scanned, or emailed applications aren’t accepted. Use a reliable internet connection and modern browser.
Frequently asked questions
The VA utilizes an Application Management System (AMS) to facilitate the submission and review of each application package. Click “Apply” at the top of this page and you will be directed to set up your account and begin the application process.
No, to qualify for SELRP you must have 2 training years remaining. If you are in your next to last year of training, we will count that as one year, and final year will count as your second year. However, should you become a Chief Resident or attend a Fellowship we may consider those training years as well.
Yes, However, you must have an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate.
Under SELRP a physician can receive $40,000 for each remaining PGY training year. If the residency is 4 years in length and the applicant is a PGY-1 they can receive $40,000 for their PGY-1, PGY-2, PGY-3, and PGY-4 for a total of $160,000. If the resident has already transitioned into their PGY-2 year they are now only eligible for $120,000 (PGY-2, PGY-3, and PGY4)
No, SELRP funds are Tax Free
No, SELRP funds are a “Loan Repayment” and must be used to pay down medical school debt.
s, we use 3 factors to determine placement:
- VA needs
- Your specialty
- Your needs.
Because the need for physicians is everywhere, we will ask where you would like to go. We then reach out to that location to see if there is a need in your specialty. If there is – that is where you go. If not, we look elsewhere in accordance with your mobility agreement.
No, only specialties listed on the SELRP Homepage are eligible for consideration.
Some physicians have completed an application in less than a week while others may take 3 months. It will depend on how motivated you are to receive $40,000, and for your references to complete letters of recommendation, and your loan servicers to complete their forms. As you can see there are factors you may have little control over.
Your application is typically reviewed the next business day after submission. After the review a decision will be made to offer SELRP. If offered SELRP you will receive a notification to login to your portal and accept the tentative offer. After accepting the tentative offer your application will be forwarded to the security team who will initiate your background check. This will require you to be fingerprinted. Once you clear security the application is returned to SELRP. At that time we will initiate the final award letter. Again, you will be notified to log into the system and accept final offer, and to initiate the vendorization process. Once the final offer is accepted and signed by the Under Secretary of Health (USH) designee you are officially in SELRP.
After the final offer is signed by the Under Secretary of Health (USH) designee and you are officially in SELRP. Your final agreement is sent to finance to initiate the payment process. This could take 45-60 days to process as your account may still be in the vendorization process.
More opportunities for students and recent grads
We’re proud to offer numerous avenues to further develop your health care career.
VA Scholarship Programs
Scholarships, stipends, and paid training for high-need health careers—all with a VA job after you graduate and get licensed.
VA Student Trainee Experience Program (VA-STEP)
Paid, hands-on experience for students in nursing, medical laboratory science, and pharmacy programs.
