[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 26 (Monday, February 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6573-6574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3091]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


``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 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.

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 (ie., ``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

[[Page 6574]]

disadvantaged backgrounds. The income figures have been updated to 
reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index through December 31, 
1997.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Income  
                 Size of Parents Family \1\                   Level \2\ 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1..........................................................      $10,700
2..........................................................       13,900
3..........................................................       16,500
4..........................................................       21,200
5..........................................................       25,000
6 or more..................................................      28,100 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes only dependents listed on Federal income tax forms.        
\2\ Rounded to the nearest $100. Adjusted gross income for calendar year
  1997.                                                                 


    Dated: January 30, 1998.
Claude Earl Fox,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-3091 Filed 2-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P