The Outstanding Rural Scholar Recognition Program is not currently accepting applications.  Current students will remain in the program but new applicants will not be accepted at this time. 

The Outstanding Rural Scholar Recognition Program (ORSRP) is a competitive forgiveness loan program that assists rural communities in “growing their own” health care professionals. The program matches the funds of a rural sponsoring organization with State Office of Rural Health (SORH) funds to support a health professional student (or nominee).  Upon licensure, the health care professional returns to the rural sponsor to practice as a clinician for the amount of time they received funding through the program.  A candidate for this program may be a graduating high school student or a college student (see eligibility below for GPA requirements).  If you are currently working in the medical field and seeking higher credentialing, this program is for you also!

Nominees must be a Texas resident, nominated by an organization in a rural county of Texas and attend a college or university in Texas.

Purpose: To recognize, encourage, and financially support students in health care professions studies at institutions of higher education, and to lead them to provide health care in rural communities in Texas.

Award Amount:  Each award amount is determined by the ORSRP Advisory Committee. The amount of the forgiveness loan awards is based on the cost of attendance at the academic institution the scholar will attend, obtained by the nominee from the Student Financial Aid Office at the academic institution.  Awards are subject to availability of funding.

• The rural sponsor agrees to provide 50% of the student’s cost of attendance.      
• The State Office of Rural Health agrees to provide 50% of the student’s cost of attendance for the duration of the academic program.

• Be a Texas resident, who is sponsored by and has financial support committed from a rural sponsor.
• Be enrolled, or intend to enroll, in an eligible academic institution of higher education in Texas to become a health care professional.
• Be a high school student who is in the upper 25% of the high school’s class, if the class enrollment is 48 or greater, or have an overall “B” average, or;
• Be a college student who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a scale of 4.00, or;
• Be an individual who has a high school diploma or equivalent and demonstrates to the satisfaction of the rural community sponsor, the motivation, qualities and abilities that lead to success in the chosen healthcare profession.