New Jersey Now Accepting Applications for Student Loan Relief from Behavioral Healthcare Providers
TRENTON – As part of New Jersey's ongoing efforts to increase access to behavioral healthcare in underserved communities, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) is now accepting applications for a State program offering up to $180,000 in student loan redemption and incentive grants for eligible behavioral healthcare professionals.
“Every New Jersey family should be able to get quality behavioral healthcare in their own community," said Governor Mikie Sherrill. “That is especially important for our young people, who are facing unprecedented pressures and a growing mental health crisis. By helping behavioral healthcare professionals pay down their student debt, this program will bring more providers to underserved communities and connect more New Jerseyans with the care they need."
“The Behavioral Healthcare Provider Loan Redemption Program offers student loan relief to dedicated professionals who are addressing the mental health needs of residents throughout New Jersey," said HESAA Acting Executive Director Jerry Traino. “I encourage qualifying New Jersey providers working in high-demand areas to consider applying for this incentive program during the open application period this year."
Eligible behavioral healthcare providers working full-time at approved sites in New Jersey operated by nonprofits, educational institutions, or government entities can apply for student loan redemption in exchange for up to six years of service. For every two years providing direct care to patients or clients at an approved site, HESAA will pay up to $50,000 toward an approved program participant's student loans that were obtained to pursue their behavioral health-related degree(s).
On top of the maximum total student loan redemption of $150,000 for all program participants, providers working primarily with children and adolescents can also receive a supplemental grant of up to $5,000 per year, for an additional maximum total of $30,000 in incentive grants.
Since the initial launch of this program in January 2023, more than 200 behavioral healthcare professionals have been accepted into the program. Current participants do not need to reapply, but anyone who applied during previous application period(s) and was not accepted into the program must reapply for consideration.
To be eligible for student loan relief, providers must live in New Jersey and work full-time at an approved site throughout the duration of their participation in the program, for a minimum of two years. Providers must maintain one or more applicable licenses to provide mental or behavioral healthcare in New Jersey and must serve in one of the following professions:
- board certified behavior analyst
- licensed associate counselor
- licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor
- licensed clinical social worker
- licensed professional counselor
- licensed psychologist
- licensed social worker
- psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist
- psychiatrist
To address the areas of the State with the most severe shortages of behavioral healthcare providers, HESAA uses a scoring system to select participants. Using data from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, applications are scored based on the demand for the occupation, the demand in each geographic location, the applicant's current salary in their behavioral healthcare occupation, and whether the applicant works primarily with children or adolescents.
For more information on eligibility and application requirements, and to access the application visit www.hesaa.org/Pages/BHLRP.aspx.
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HESAA, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, is the only New Jersey state Authority with the sole mission of providing students and families with financial and informational resources for students to pursue their education beyond high school. For more information, visit https://www.hesaa.org.
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