NIH Loan Repayment Programs – An Overview

Did you know that NIH can actually help pay off some of your educational debt? Up to $50,000 worth over two years, in fact! Now that we have your attention, join us for this first in a two part NIH All About Grants podcast mini-series on the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) (MP3 / Transcript). Dr. Ericka Boone, Director of the Division of Loan Repayment within the NIH Office of Extramural Research, discusses the different extramural LRPs available, what exactly is “qualified educational debt” (and, importantly, what it is not), considerations for applying, benefits to participating, and much more.

“We all know that there are immense benefits to receiving the LRP, and one of them being relief from the debt burden of having to pay back student loans at a time where an investigator is at a really vulnerable career decision point. They’re at their early stages of their career and they’re wondering, do I stay in a career that I love, or do I exit out of this career pathway in order to pursue other opportunities that might be more lucrative? And I really love this program, because it really helps to keep people actively engaged.” – Ericka Boone

In our second conversation, we dive deeper into the specifics of developing your application. Please also check out the LRP page for eligibility and program information, send questions to [email protected], and follow them at @NIH_LRP.