[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 18, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 36817-36818] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-17555] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ``Low Income Levels'' for Health Professions and Nursing Programs The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is updating income levels used to identify a ``low income family'' for the purpose of providing training for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds under various health professions and nursing programs included in titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act (the Act). The Department periodically publishes in the Federal Register low income levels used by the Public Health Service for grants and cooperative agreements to institutions providing training for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. A ``low income level'' is one of the factors taken into consideration to determine if an individual qualifies as a disadvantaged student for purposes of health professions and nursing programs. The programs under the Act that use ``low income levels'' as one of the factors in determining disadvantaged backgrounds include the Health Careers Opportunity Program, section 740, the Program of Financial Assistance for Disadvantaged Health Professions Students, section 740(a)(2)(F), and Nursing Education Opportunities for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, section 827. Loans to Disadvantaged Students, section 724, Scholarships for Health Professions Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, section 737, Disadvantaged Health Professions Faculty Loan Repayment and Fellowships Program, section 738 were added to title VII by the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-527) and are also using the low income levels. Other factors used in determining ``disadvantaged backgrounds'' are included in individual program regulations and guidelines. Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP), Section 740 This program awards grants to accredited schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, public health, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, allied health, podiatric medicine, chiropractic and public or nonprofit private schools which offer graduate programs in clinical psychology, and other public or private nonprofit health or educational entities to assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter and graduate from health professions schools. Financial Assistance for Disadvantaged Health Professions Students (FADHPS), Section 740(a)(2)(F) This program awards grants to accredited schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, and dentistry to provide financial assistance to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are of exceptional financial need, to help pay for their health professions education. The provision of these scholarships shall be subject to section 795 relating to residency training and practice in primary health care. [[Page 36818]] Nursing Education Opportunities for Individuals From Disadvantaged Backgrounds, Section 827 This program awards grants to public and nonprofit private schools of nursing and other public or nonprofit private entities to meet costs of special projects to increase nursing education opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Loans to Disadvantaged Students, Section 724 This program makes awards to certain accredited schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, and veterinary medicine for financially needy students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Scholarships for Health Professions Students From Disadvantaged Backgrounds, Section 737 This program awards grants to schools of medicine, nursing, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, optometry, veterinary medicine, allied health, or public health, or schools that offer graduate programs in clinical psychology for the purpose of assisting such schools in providing scholarships to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who enrolled (or are accepted for enrollment) as full-time students. Disadvantaged Health Professions Faculty Loan Repayment and Fellowship Program, Section 738 This program awards grants to repay the health professions education loans of disadvantaged health professionals who have agreed to serve for at least 2 years as a faculty member of a school of medicine, nursing, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, or a school that offers a graduate program in clinical psychology. Section 738(a) allows loan repayment only for an individual who has not been a member of the faculty of any school at any time during the 18-month period preceding the date on which the Secretary receives the request of the individual for repayment contract (i.e., ``new'' faculty). The following income figures were taken from low income levels published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, using an index adopted by a Federal Interagency Committee for use in a variety of Federal Programs. That index includes multiplication by a factor of 1.3 for adaptation to health professions and nursing programs which support training for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The income figures have been updated to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index through December 31, 1994. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Income Size of parents family \1\ level \2\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1............................................................ $10,000 2............................................................ 12,900 3............................................................ 15,400 4............................................................ 19,700 5............................................................ 23,200 6 or more.................................................... 26,100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Includes only dependents listed on Federal income tax forms. \2\ Rounded to the nearest $100. Adjusted gross income for calendar year 1994. Dated: July 12, 1995. Ciro V. Sumaya, Administrator. [FR Doc. 95-17555 Filed 7-17-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4160-15-P