Window open for healthcare professionals to apply for loan repayment

HONOLULU—Governor Josh Green, has announced that the state of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i/ Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center (AHEC) are receiving a tremendous response to the aggressive and far-reaching loan repayment program that addresses the state’s growing shortage of physicians and other healthcare professionals.

The Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program (HELP) provides educational loan debt repayment for health professionals licensed or otherwise certified to provide care to patients in Hawai‘i. The application deadline for the second cohort of this groundbreaking program is July 1, 2024.

HELP was conceptualized by Governor Green in partnership with the John A. Burns School of Medicine, the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i and the state Department of Health, and is funded by the state legislature to provide $30 million in educational loan debt repayment to licensed health professionals who accept public insurance for at least 30% of their patient care claims.

Marc and Lynne Benioff provided major philanthropic support for Hawai‘i island HELP recipients with an additional $5 million over two years.

Out of the first 400 recipients, 77 from Hawai‘i island will receive loan repayment from the state funds.

Sixty-five applicants received funding from Marc and Lynne Benioff in the first round.