WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM? Act 1114 of 1995 created the Community Match Student loan and Scholarship Program. The intent of this program is to expand the existing Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program and increase the number of primary care physicians in rural Arkansas. Medical students (and Alternates awaiting acceptance for admission) must sign a contract to practice full-time primary care medicine in a contracting rural community in Arkansas. The Community Match Program is administered by the Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board (Board).

WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF THE SCHOLARSHIP/LOAN? A student could receive up to a maximum of $16,500.00 per academic year. One-half of the funds would be provided by the contracting rural community with the other half "matched" by the Rural Practice Program. The Board will not consider any new Community Match Loan application where the community commits to less than $8,250.00 per academic year for four years.

WHAT IS A "RURAL" COMMUNITY? "Rural" is defined as a community in Arkansas having a population of less than 15,000, or a community determined by the Board to be a "health professions shortage area".

HOW IS "PRIMARY CARE" DEFINED? Family Medicine, general Internal Medicine, general Pediatrics, Internal Medicine/ Pediatrics (MedPeds), general Obstetrics/Gynecology, and general Surgery.

HOW CAN A COMMUNITY PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY MATCH PROGRAM? A community must make application to the Board and be approved as a "rural community" before entering a contract with an enrolled medical student or an Alternate on the alternate list. The Community must name, and the Board must approve, the designated representative of the rural community who will assist the Board in matters relating to any community contracts entered into by the Board and the community. The Board has determined that a community may seek donations from third parties to provide funds for the community’s obligation. However, the Community must agree not to seek or accept donations from an applicant (enrolled student or Alternate), or any member of the applicant’s immediate family, or from any corporation, partnership or other entity in which the applicant or member of his or her immediate family has a substantial financial interest. The Board has also determined that if a third party, i.e., hospital, etc., provides the funds to the community, the community must provide evidence of a contractual commitment from the third party to continue to provide such funds for succeeding years, subject only to the loan recipient continuing to meet the qualifications for the loan. The intent of legislation creating the Community Match Loan and Scholarship Program is that the applicant’s contractual obligation is with the "community" and not the "third party" who may have provided the funds. Therefore, to have Community Match Loans converted to grants, the recipient must practice full-time primary care medicine in the qualifying rural community for an equal number of years the recipient received assistance.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY? Any bona fide resident of Arkansas who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine; who is enrolled in a "medically underserved and rural practice curriculum"; who promises to practice full-time primary care medicine in a contracting rural community in Arkansas; who is a person of good moral character and has the talent and capacity to profit by medical studies; and who has been approved by the designated representative of a qualified rural community. Each applicant must be interviewed and approved by the Board.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM INTERESTED IN THE COMMUNITY MATCH PROGRAM? Medical students enrolled in the College of Medicine (as well as Alternates waiting on the Alternate List for acceptance to medical school) wishing to participate in the program should contact a qualifying rural community and secure their commitment before interviewing with the Board. The Board must interview each applicant to determine if he/she meets the eligibility requirements mandated by Act 1114 of 1995. Program information has been sent to all Mayors and Hospital CEO’s throughout Arkansas. Nothing precludes you from taking the initiative to contact the Mayor or Hospital CEO in any "rural" community in Arkansas to begin discussing the program and the possibility of their supporting your application to participate in the program.

WHAT SPECIAL PROVISIONS ARE MADE FOR ALTERNATES ON THE "ALTERNATE LIST"? Alternates waiting on the Alternate List for acceptance to the College of Medicine may apply. The Rural Practice Board must interview each applicant to determine if he/she meets the eligibility requirements mandated in Act 1114. If the Board approves the application of an Alternate who signs a contract with a qualified rural community, he/she will be elevated to the top of the Alternate List. This does not guarantee admission to medical school. The law stipulates that the College of Medicine must meet the requirements set forth in prior law for the allocation of enrollment positions for medical students "among congressional districts before accepting for admission an Alternate who has entered into a community match contract with the Board and a qualified rural community". However, if sufficient funds are available and an opening for admission to medical school occurs (after taking into consideration the allocation of enrollment positions), Alternates signing Community Match contracts will be considered in the order in which their applications are approved by the Board. To reaffirm its understanding of the law, the Board wishes to re-emphasize to Alternates accepted for admission to medical school through the gateway of signing a Community Match Loan contract that "program" is defined as a four-year program of education and an Alternate has a four-year obligation, subject to the availability of funding.

CAN THESE LOANS BE RENEWED? Subject to the availability of funds, an initial community match loan for one academic year shall be renewable annually (maximum four years) provided the Board finds that the applicant 1) has successfully completed the medical studies of the preceding academic year and remains in good standing, 2) is enrolled and participating in a medically undeserved and rural practice curriculum, and 3) continues to be a resident of Arkansas. In the event the community fails to provide required funding each year or otherwise defaults on its obligations under the Community Match program, alternates may, at the sole discretion of the Board, be enrolled in the Rural Medical Practice Program for all years necessary to complete the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

HOW ARE THE COMMUNITY MATCH LOANS REPAID? Each applicant approved by the Board for a loan shall practice full-time primary care medicine in the contracting rural community. For each continuous whole calendar year of full-time primary care medical practice, the Board and Community shall cancel, by converting to a scholarship grant, the full amount of one year’s loan plus accrued interest. Loans made for subsequent years will be converted in like manner, one year of service for each year of assistance, until the loan obligation is retired.

WHAT PROVISION IS ALLOWED FOR RESIDENCY TRAINING? Following graduation, a loan recipient is allowed one year of medical internship and no more than three additional years of "primary care" (as defined under Act 1114 of 1995) residency training. The residency training program must include practice experience in a rural community and must be approved in advance by the Board. Requests for deferment must be submitted to the Board on an annual basis. Allowance is made for involuntary military service.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY LOAN(S) IN THE EVENT OF DEATH? The law states all loans unpaid shall be due and payable.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENT A STUDENT DEFAULTS ON HIS/HER LOAN OBLIGATION? Medical Students already enrolled or accepted for enrollment who are approved for the program: In the event a medical student withdraws from the program while enrolled at the College of Medicine, the recipient must repay the loan(s) received, together with interest, at the maximum rate allowed by Arkansas law, or the federal discount rate plus 5% per annum, the interest to accrue from the date each payment of funds was received. In the event the loan recipient completes medical school and does not engage in the practice of primary care medicine, the recipient must repay principal and interest as well as liquidated damages in an amount equal to 50% of the principal amount received. The Board and Community may assert other legal rights as a result of the breach of contract.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENT AN ALTERNATE, WHOSE ACCEPTANCE TO MEDICAL SCHOOL WAS CONDITIONED ON HIS/HER SIGNING A COMMUNITY MATCH CONTRACT, DEFAULTS ON HIS/HER LOAN OBLIGATIONS? If an Alternate on the alternate list that was admitted to medical school under the provisions of the Community Match Program breaches his/her contract by withdrawing from the program during medical school or by failing to engage in the practice of primary care in the contracting rural community, he/she must repay principal and accrued interest, as well as liquidated damages in an amount equal to 100% of the loan amount and other unspecified damages with the minimum amount of damages being equal to the difference between resident and out-of-state tuition at the College of Medicine for four years of medical school, but no less than $25,000.00. The Board and Community may assert other legal rights as a result of the breach of contract.