Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program

To be eligible, you must: 

• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
• be an Illinois resident 
• be a qualifying behavioral health professional who meets licensing requirements of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, holds certification as a  Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor from the Illinois Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, or has attained the required educational credentials:
  • psychiatrist (Physician)
  • advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)
  • physician's assistant (Physician Assistant in Medicine) 
  • psychologist (PsyD, PhD)
  • licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)
  • licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC)
  • licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT)
  • certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC)
  • certified recovery support specialist (CRSS)
  • professional with a master's degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or marriage and family therapy
  • professional with a bachelor's degree in counseling, psychology, or social work
• at the time of application, be currently employed and have worked as a behavioral  health professional for at least 12 consecutive months in a Professional Community Healthcare Center located in an underserved or rural Illinois health professional shortage area, as determined by the  Health Resources and Services Administration. Community Healthcare Centers are community mental health centers, behavioral health clinics, substance use treatment centers, or state-operated psychiatric hospitals that are licensed or certified by the Department of Human Services or the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.  
• have a balance remaining on an eligible student loan (includes Stafford loans, Graduate PLUS loans, Perkins loans, Consolidation loans, supplemental loans, alternative loans and other types of government and institutional loans used for education expenses)
• not be in default on any federal guaranteed educational loan or owe a refund on a grant or scholarship program administered by ISAC. If you are in default, you may reestablish your eligibility using the  Default Resolution Options to Regain Federal and State Student Aid
• have not received loan repayment assistance under this program for more than four years

You must work for 12 consecutive months as a behavioral health professional at an approved facility for each year that you apply for and receive the loan repayment.

1. Create a profile in the ISAC Application Portal or log into your existing account.
2. Complete and submit the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment application and required documentation in the application portal before the deadline for priority consideration. You must complete the program application every year you want to be considered for an award. An application is not complete until you submit all the following:
   1. documents verifying your education and/or licenses/certification
   2. the signed Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program Employment Verification Form, and
   3. current account statements for loans with an outstanding balance.
3. After you submit your application, you will immediately receive a Submission Notice confirming that ISAC has received it. If you submitted an application prior to the priority deadline and have not yet been notified of your status, you will receive an Application Update Notice within 30 days after the priority submission deadline. Please read this notice carefully, as it will provide you with more information on any next steps in the process.

Has anything changed since your application? Review the “Changes to Your Application” section of the Managing Your Application page.

We recommend that you gather and organize the documents needed to complete your application before starting to fill out the application. The online application process includes uploading and submitting required documentation. Acceptable uploaded files must have one of these file extensions: .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg. See the required documentation page to apply for the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Repayment program.

Priority consideration will be given to applicants who apply by the deadline. The deadline for 2026-27 will be announced once applications are available.

ISAC will prioritize renewal applicants first. Renewal applicants are those who received an award the previous year and are applying again. After all eligible renewal applicants have been considered, ISAC will consider eligible new applicants. Priority will be given to new applicants who work in areas with the greatest mental health professional shortages.

ISAC will notify applicants of the decision on their application, including whether they have been selected to receive an award. The award amount depends on your remaining balance on eligible education loans and varies based on your license, certification, or education. 

Your award funds are paid directly to your loan servicer. There is a minimum of 4-5 weeks turnaround from the date approved recipients are notified by ISAC to when funds are disbursed. Depending on the volume of payment vouchers being processed by the State of Illinois Comptroller's Office, this timeframe may increase.

Award amounts will not exceed: 

• $40,000 per year for a psychiatrist
• $20,000 per year for an advanced practice registered nurse or a physician assistant
• $20,000 per year for a psychologist with a doctoral degree (PsyD, PhD)
• $15,000 per year for a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional counselor, or a licensed marriage and family therapist
• $12,000 per year for a professional with a master's degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or marriage and family therapy
• $6,000 per year for a professional with a bachelor's degree in counseling, psychology, or social work
• $4,000 per year for certified alcohol and drug counselor, or a certified recovery support specialist 

• Behavioral Health Clinic:  A facility that provides behavioral health services, including mental health and/or substance use services and meets the state’s licensing and/or certification requirements.
• Behavioral Health Professional:  A professional who provides mental health or substance use services, such as counseling, therapy, treatment, or recovery support services, and meets the program’s education, licensing, or certification requirements.
• Community-Based Mental Health Center:  A facility that provides mental health services in a community setting and meets the state’s licensing and/or certification requirements.
• Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA):  A geographic area identified as having a shortage of mental health care professionals.
• Substance Use Treatment Center:  A facility that provides treatment and support services for individuals experiencing substance use disorders and meets the state’s licensing and/or certification requirements.
• State-Operated Psychiatric Hospital:  A psychiatric hospital licensed and operated by the State of Illinois that provides mental health treatment services.