# Minnesota Healthcare Loan Forgiveness Program Minnesota’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care provides loan forgiveness to healthcare professionals serving in high-need areas. The 2026–2027 application cycle for eligible professions runs November 1, 2026 through January 6, 2027. ## Key facts - Status: Open - Type: GRANT - Issued by: Minnesota Department of Health — Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (Minnesota) - Posted: 2026-11-01 - Application due: 2027-01-07 - Eligible applicants: Individual healthcare professionals - How to apply: Submit applications and supporting documents through the Minnesota Department of Health Grant Interface portal. - Funding source: state-funded, not RHTP - Official source: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/index.html ## Eligibility Individual health professionals only (organizations cannot apply). Applicants must live in Minnesota with a Minnesota home address, and hold, or will hold by fall 2027, a full, unrestricted Minnesota license in an eligible profession. They must commit to at least 30 hours a week of direct patient care, 45 weeks a year, usually for 3–4 years (nurse faculty and long-term care nurses: 2 years plus an optional 2). Qualifying student loan debt must exceed 2× the annual award (1× for long-term care nurses and nurse faculty). Applicants can't be in another loan repayment program at the same time, except Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Most tracks require a designated rural area (outside the 7-county Twin Cities metro); urban tracks require a shortage area (HPSA, MUA or MUP). Annual awards range from $6,000 (long-term care nurse, rural public health nurse) to $41,000 (dentist). The program is competitive, there are no appeals, and decisions are emailed by May. ## Requirements Applicants must follow the profession-specific eligibility, service-obligation, and documentation requirements in the official Minnesota program materials. ## Required attachments - Current professional license or proof of expected licensure by Fall 2027 - Proof of qualifying student loan debt - Practice site verification (if applicable: proof of rural/shortage area, employer confirmation for required settings) - Other documentation as specified per profession-specific guidelines ## Application package and source documents - [MN - 2026 - Minnesota Healthcare Loan Forgiveness Programs Application Cycles for 2026-2027 (Official program page)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/4eb3f288-1faf-469b-95dc-d7a69fb9083d/file) (primary) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/index.html - [MN - 2026 - Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness Program: Frequently Asked Questions (Program FAQ)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/eab8f90c-9300-414b-a280-52e68039471a/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/faq.html - [MN - 2026 - Loan Forgiveness for Healthcare Professionals Program Information Notice (PIN) (Program Information Notice (PIN))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/5d516600-7da6-4e82-ba0f-245980697e08/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/docs/lfpin.pdf - [MN - 2026 - Minnesota Hospital Registered Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program Cycle Open August 1, 2026 - October 6, 2026 (Hospital Registered Nurse guidelines (separate cycle, closed Oct 6, 2026))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/53890a7c-fe1a-4bc4-8f69-a67770d2aa49/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/hospnur.html - [Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness Program (Rural Dental Therapist / Advanced Dental Therapist guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/cb155940-ee2b-4b4a-862e-7e58a66348bb/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/rdtadt.html - [Minnesota Dentist Loan Forgiveness Guidelines (Dentist guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/39fae80a-b408-4607-b18f-f8ccc2adc6a3/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/dentist.html - [MN - 2026 - Minnesota Rural Mental Health Professional Loan Forgiveness Program Application Cycle Nov. 1, 2026-Jan. 6, 2027 (Rural Mental Health Professional guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/a8ea7f69-bd09-409b-88cb-2be2f80c29a7/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/ruralmental.html - [Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness Programs (Urban Mental Health Professional guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/7d064437-febf-48a8-9129-fe7284da5497/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/urbanmental.html - [Minnesota Rural Advanced Practice Provider Loan Forgiveness Guidelines (Rural Advanced Practice Provider guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/30d2a60d-cdcf-403b-9d10-6324ba42a04c/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/ruralapp.html - [Minnesota Urban Advanced Practice Provider (Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Only) Loan Forgiveness Guidelines (Urban Advanced Practice Provider guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/4f04bb89-9779-4b3b-b193-fbbc762eae4e/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/urbanapp.html - [Minnesota Rural Physician Loan Forgiveness Guidelines (Rural Physician guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/3c1b9a7d-e0f6-4e37-a196-de69abc7271d/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/ruralphys.html - [Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness Program (Urban Physician guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/b65f7153-8a16-4c71-bef3-a45bfdc34b0f/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/urbanphys.html - [Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness Program (Nurse Faculty guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/3f7e2584-2511-49fe-8407-3a3161b83546/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/nursfac.html - [Minnesota Long Term Care Nurse Loan Forgiveness Guidelines (Long Term Care Nurse guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/8c8e918d-caef-45a7-8f13-251c41367a12/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/nurse.html - [MN - 2026 - Minnesota Rural Public Health Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program cycle will be open Nov. 1, 2026, to Jan. 6, 2027 (Rural Public Health Nurse guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/e08df436-1ed5-4929-9e0f-16a0cbd96b1c/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/publichealth.html - [MN - 2026 - Minnesota Rural Pharmacist Loan Forgiveness Program cycle will be open Nov. 1, 2026, to Jan. 6, 2027 (Rural Pharmacist guidelines)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/8ea529d0-4515-43c0-af72-60933d06afe4/file) — official: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/funding/loans/pharm.html - [MN - 2027 - Request for Proposal: Minnesota Healthcare Loan Forgiveness Program (Listserv announcement / provenance)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/0452acb4-ab39-4024-80c8-c875fab86014/file) More Minnesota RHTP activity: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/mn (markdown: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/mn.md) --- Source: Rural Care Journey (RCJ), https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/minnesota-healthcare-loan-forgiveness-program--bc39bc00f7 — data as of 2026-11-03. Cite the RCJ page for the summary and the linked official source for authoritative terms, deadlines, and amounts.