Georgia Behavioral Health Provider Loan Repayment Program

Updates and important dates:

  • The next Loan Repayment Application Cycle will open August 1, 2026.

Georgia Behavioral Health Provider Loan Repayment Program (GBHPLRP):

  • A service-cancelable loan of up to $150,000 is available to mental health and substance use professionals to repay outstanding educational debt in exchange for practicing in a Mental Health Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA), as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
MHPSA Map
  • Below is the MHPSA map to determine the eligibility of a county you may be interested in servicing:
  • The award amount varies based on behavioral health occupation:
    • Psychiatrists: $150,000
    • Psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists who hold doctoral degrees in behavioral health: $80,000
    • Clinical nurse social workers, licensed professional counselors, licensed specialists in school psychology, and licensed marriage and family therapists who do not hold doctoral degrees: $40,000
    • Licensed chemical dependency counselors who hold associate degrees, or any other behavioral health licensee not listed above: $10,000
  • Assists Mental Health or Substance Use Professionals in repaying outstanding educational loan debt
  • "Full-time" practice is a minimum of 40 hours per week (of which 32 hours must be direct patient contact, while the remaining hours can be administrative)
  • Contracts are awarded for a four-year term
  • Funding for this program is provided solely by the State of Georgia

Click here  (PDF, 204.48 KB) to view the Information Sheet for the Georgia Behavioral Health Provider Loan Repayment Program.