71-5666.

Student loan recipient agreement; contents.

Each student loan recipient shall execute an agreement with the state. Such agreement shall be exempt from the requirements of the State Procurement Act and shall include the following terms, as appropriate:

(1) The borrower agrees to practice the equivalent of one year of full-time practice of an approved specialty in a designated health profession shortage area in Nebraska for each year of education for which a loan is received, or a longer period as required in subdivision (4)(a) of section 71-5663, and agrees to accept medicaid patients in his or her practice;

(2) If the borrower practices an approved specialty in a designated health profession shortage area in Nebraska, the loan shall be forgiven as provided in this section and subdivision (4)(a) of section 71-5663. Practice in a designated area shall commence within three months of the completion of formal education, which may include a period not to exceed five years to complete specialty training in an approved specialty. The commission may approve exceptions to any period required for completion of training upon showing good cause. Loan forgiveness shall occur on a quarterly basis, with completion of the equivalent of three months of full-time practice resulting in the cancellation of one-fourth of the annual loan amount. Part-time practice in a shortage area shall result in a prorated reduction in the cancellation of the loan amount;

(3) If the borrower practices an approved specialty in Nebraska but not in a designated health profession shortage area, practices a specialty other than an approved specialty in Nebraska, does not practice the profession for which the loan was given, discontinues practice of the profession for which the loan was given, or practices outside Nebraska, the borrower shall repay one hundred fifty percent of the outstanding loan principal with interest at a rate of eight percent simple interest per year from the date of default. Such repayment shall commence within six months of the completion of formal education, which may include a period not to exceed five years to complete specialty training in an approved specialty, and shall be completed within a period not to exceed twice the number of years for which loans were awarded;

(4) If a borrower who is a medical, dental, or doctorate-level mental health student determines during the first or second year of medical, dental, or doctorate-level mental health education that his or her commitment to the loan program cannot be honored, the borrower may repay the outstanding loan principal, plus six percent simple interest per year from the date the loan was granted, prior to graduation from medical or dental school or a mental health practice program without further penalty or obligation. Master's level mental health and physician assistant student loan recipients shall not be eligible for this provision;

(5) If the borrower discontinues the course of study for which the loan was granted, the borrower shall repay one hundred percent of the outstanding loan principal. Such repayment shall commence within six months of the date of discontinuation of the course of study and shall be completed within a period of time not to exceed the number of years for which loans were awarded;

(6) Any practice or payment obligation incurred by the student loan recipient under the student loan program is canceled in the event of the student loan recipient's total and permanent disability or death; and

(7) For a borrower seeking benefits under subdivision (4)(a) of section 71-5663, the borrower agrees to such other terms as the department deems appropriate.