PRIMARY CARE ASSISTANCE

You are a recipient of assistance from the BUMC Primary Care Pool if you accepted funds from one or more of the following sources:

Federal Primary Care Loan
John I. Sandson Primary Care Loan
John & Hannah Sandson Primary Care Loan
Ruth M. Batson Primary Care Loan
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Loan

The purpose of the Primary Care Pool is to provide debt burden relief to individuals who are committed to providing needed primary health care, but whose level of compensation is likely to remain below that generally expected in many sub-specialties. This assistance is designed to prevent educational indebtedness from compromising your generalist career goals. If you accepted funds from any of these sources, you agreed to practice primary health care for a specified period of time. A description of loan repayment terms, the parameters of your obligation, procedures for confirming that you are satisfying it, and penalties for non-compliance are detailed below. You may contact Student Financial Services (SFS) at 1-877-776-6243 or (617) 638-6417 at any time with questions or concerns.

LOAN REPAYMENT TERMS

Federal Primary Care Loans are identical to Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL), except that they are available only to students who are committed to practicing primary health care. Interest will not accrue while you are in school and during a year grace period. Following the grace period, you may request deferment during the remainder of residency training, during which time no interest will be charged. You may also qualify for an interest-free deferment if you are serving in the Peace Corps, the National Health Service Corps, VISTA or the U.S. Armed Forces. If you do not qualify for an additional deferment, repayment will begin at the conclusion of your residency, and interest will begin to accrue at a fixed 5% rate. The maximum term of repayment is 10 years, which may be limited by a $15 minimum monthly payment. Please review the Primary Care Loan Promissory Note and complete the Loan Exit Counseling Session Form and bring it to your Exit Counseling Session.

John I. Sandson and John & Hannah Sandson Primary Care Loans are non-interest bearing loans while you are in school and during a three-year grace period. Three years after graduation, the first payment is due; interest begins to accrue at 5% one-month before the first payment is due. Please complete the Loan Exit Counseling Session Form and bring it to your Exit Counseling Session.

Ruth M. Batson Primary Care Loans are identical to Sandson Primary Care Loans in all respects. Please complete the Loan Exit Counseling Session Form and bring it to your Exit Counseling Session.

Robert Wood Johnson Loans established in 1972 by a grant from the RWJ Foundation, charge 3% beginning at repayment, which starts one year after the student completes or otherwise terminates their studies. Repayment may be deferred for an additional two years during residency training, during which time interest does not accrue. The maximum repayment term is 10 years, and payments are made monthly. Please complete the Loan Exit Counseling Session Form and bring it to your Exit Counseling Session.

LOAN RECIPIENT SERVICE OBLIGATIONS

All recipients of Federal Primary Care Loans agree to:

Complete a residency training program in family medicine, pediatrics, general internal medicine, preventive medicine or osteopathic general medicine within 4 years of graduation from medical school; and,
Practice in that primary health care field in the United States or a U.S. territory until the loan is paid in full.

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

For the duration of your service obligation, you are required annually to contact SFS to certify that you are training in or practicing primary health care. This must be accomplished in writing by completing the Certification of Primary Care Training or Practice Form and returning it to:

Boston University Medical Campus
Student Financial Services
715 Albany Street, Room A-401
Boston, MA 02118-2394

Please note that it is your responsibility to certify your training and practice activities on the appropriate form each May until you have fulfilled your service obligation. Failure to do so will result in default on the obligation and the application of penalties, as described below.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT: Federal Primary Care Loan recipients who do not comply with the service obligation or certification requirements outlined above will be considered in breach of contract and will be assessed the following penalty:

The loan will accrue interest continuously at a rate of 18% per annum beginning on the date of noncompliance, and ending when the loan is paid in full.

Other programs are not subject to this penalty.

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