71-5663.

Amount of financial assistance; limitation.

(1) The amount of financial assistance provided through student loans pursuant to the Rural Health Systems and Professional Incentive Act shall be limited to thirty thousand dollars for each recipient for each academic year and, except as provided in subdivision (4)(a) of this section, shall not exceed one hundred twenty thousand dollars per medical, dental, or doctorate-level mental health student or thirty thousand dollars per master's level mental health or physician assistant student.

(2) The amount of financial assistance provided through the medical resident incentive program pursuant to the act shall be limited to forty thousand dollars for each recipient for each year of residency and, except as provided in subdivision (4)(b) of this section, shall not exceed one hundred twenty thousand dollars.

(3) The amount of financial assistance provided by the state through loan repayments pursuant to the act (a) for physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, and psychologists shall be limited to thirty thousand dollars per recipient per year of full-time practice in a designated health profession shortage area and, except as provided in subdivision (4)(c) of this section, shall not exceed ninety thousand dollars per recipient and (b) for physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and mental health practitioners shall be limited to fifteen thousand dollars per recipient per year of full-time practice in a designated health profession shortage area and, except as provided in subdivision (4)(c) of this section, shall not exceed forty-five thousand dollars per recipient.

(4)(a) The total amount of financial assistance provided through student loans for a doctorate-level mental health student or master's level mental health student shall be the full amount of such loans for a person who practices psychiatry, psychology, or mental health practice:

(i) For at least five years in a designated health profession shortage area; and

(ii) If all or a majority of such practice consists of the treatment of members of the community supervision population.

(b) The total amount of financial assistance provided through the medical resident incentive program for a psychiatrist shall be the full amount of such psychiatrist's qualified educational debts if such person practices psychiatry:

(i) For at least five years in a designated health profession shortage area; and

(ii) If all or a majority of such practice consists of the treatment of members of the community supervision population.

(c) The total amount of financial assistance provided through loan repayments pursuant to the act for psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health practitioners shall be the full amount of such person's qualified educational debts if such person practices psychiatry, psychology, or mental health practice:

(i) For at least five years in a designated health profession shortage area; and

(ii) If all or a majority of such practice consists of the treatment of members of the community supervision population.

(5) For purposes of this section, community supervision population means persons on probation, post-release supervision, and pretrial release.