Section 594.220  Eligibility for Application

a)         Any Illinois primary care physician, psychiatrist, dentist, physician assistant or advanced practice nurse, or one who can be expected to be licensed in Illinois and who intends to practice in a designated shortage area of Illinois, may apply for educational loan repayment.

b)         Applicants shall document currently existing educational loan indebtedness to a governmental or commercial lending institution incurred for educational expenses in pursuit of the applicant's degree or diploma.  This required documentation of indebtedness shall include a photocopy or original copy of promissory notes or other evidence of indebtedness with disclosure of lending institution or agency, loan amount, loan period, interest rate, and any amounts repaid prior to date of application.

c)         Applicants shall be willing to practice full-time in designated shortage areas in Illinois.

d)         Applicants not yet in practice, or not yet in practice in designated shortage areas, shall document intent to do so by written confirmation from a community-based organization, from a nonprofit or governmental agency, or from other health care providers located within the designated shortage area.  If the written confirmation is from a nonprofit or governmental agency, then the agency must agree to pay at least one-quarter of the applicant's outstanding principal for each year that the agency participates in the educational loan repayment program.

(Source:  Amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 14507, effective November 1, 2001)