The Health Professions Student Loan program provides low-interest loans to full-time, financially needy students. Students must be pursuing a degree in the dentistry or pharmacy.

These loans come from Title VII of the Higher Education Act and are not private loans. The program is run by the Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions.

Loan Terms

The Health Professions Loan is a subsidized loan with a 5 percent interest rate. Meaning that the loans will not accrue interest until after graduation. 

The loan comes with a 12-month grace period. That means it won't start adding interest or need to be paid back until 12 months after the student stops taking at least half of the regular course load, which is below 6 credits. After that, students have 10 years to pay back the loan.

Loan Amounts

Students must be: 

• A citizen, national, or a lawful permanent resident of the United States or the District of Columbia, the commonwealths of Puerto Rico or the Marianas Islands, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,  Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated State of Micronesia.
• A student who filed a valid FAFSA submitted by March 1 with parental income and asset information, as well as parental signature on initial transaction.
• Students who meet the income eligibility criteria as determined by HRSA, BHP.

UMB does not automatically award Parent PLUS Loans. Follow the following steps to apply for the Parent PLUS Loans. 

1. Complete the FAFSA (Federal Title IV Code: 002104).
   Please Note: You must list your parent’s income and asset information and have their signature on the initial transaction of the FAFSA to be eligible for the Health Professions Loan — this is required of all dentistry and pharmacy students interested in the Health Professions Loan regardless of age or dependency status.
2. Accept the loan on SURFS.
   Students receive an email to their University email account (or email listed on their FAFSA for incoming students) once they are awarded aid instructing them to log on to SURFS to accept their awards.
   Students are required to accept their loans and complete all necessary paperwork within six weeks of the initial offer. After six weeks, the loan will be canceled and offered to other students. Due to the fact that there is limited funding available, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to re-offer a loan that has been canceled.
   
3. Turn in signed copies of student and parent's IRS Tax Return Transcripts.
   This is required of all students who are awarded a Health Professions Loan, regardless of age or dependency status. If you or your parents did not file federal income taxes, then you must turn in W2 forms and the Non-Tax Filer Form. All documents should be based on the FAFSA tax year, for 2022-2023 we need 2020 tax documents.
4. Complete Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Truth Lending Forms on https://borrower.ecsi.net.
   Students will receive an email from a company called ECSI once the counselor has confirmed their eligibility for the loan. The email will direct students to log in and complete a series of Truth in Lending Forms and also a Master Promissory Note for the Health Professions Loans.