Nearly 75% of rural counties in North Dakota are designated primary care shortage areas. One key strategy to become the healthiest state in the nation involves increasing access to health care by building a strong health care workforce – especially in rural areas.
To address rural workforce needs, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) helps qualifying health care professionals connect with job opportunities where they can receive student loan debt relief while caring for underserved populations in North Dakota. HHS is accepting applications beginning Monday, Jan. 5, through Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, from qualifying health, behavioral health and dental health professionals.
Qualifying health professions include primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, certified nurse midwives, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists, certified registered nurse anesthetist and registered dietitians. Registered dietitians are newly added for 2026. These behavioral health professions also qualify: behavioral analyst, clinical psychologist, licensed professional counselor, licensed clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, psychiatric nurse specialist and licensed addiction counselor.
To be eligible, individuals must also be a U.S. citizen or a naturalized U.S. citizen and meet other program criteria. Criteria varies for each of the three support for service programs: North Dakota Healthcare Professional Student Loan Repayment Program, ND Federal Student Loan Repayment Program and Dental Loan Repayment Program.
Last grant year, federal and state health care student loan repayment programs helped about 60 North Dakota health professionals by providing approximately $2.2 million in state and federal funding for loan repayment. According to the American Medical Association, on average, the student loan debt of primary care physician graduates is about $213,000. Nationally, new graduates with a bachelor’s degree in nursing have an average debt of about $30,000.
“With student loan debt increasing year after year, these programs provide health care professionals with needed financial help,” said HHS Primary Care Office Director Natalie Jung, who encourages health professionals with student loan debt to apply.
New health care graduates and established health professionals with student loan debt who have questions can contact doh-pco@nd.gov or 701-328-8674, 711 (TTY).