Both California physician loan-repayment programmes are closed until 2027
Program and regulatory figures verified October 5, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Programme status is the fastest-ageing fact in this subject, and California is the clearest example right now. Both doors are shut, and neither reopens this year.
What HCAI actually says
The California Department of Health Care Access and Information runs both programmes, and both pages carry the same banner. Verbatim, from the HCAI loan repayment pages, read 2026-10-05:
"Application Cycle: CLOSED — Check back here for information regarding the next application cycle in May 2027." (Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps LRP)
"Application Cycle: CLOSED — Check back here for information regarding the next application cycle in July 2027." (California State LRP)
| Programme | 2026 window, now passed | Next cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Thompson (STLRP) | May 1 – June 5, 2026 | May 2027 |
| CA-SLRP | July 15 – September 15, 2026 | July 2027 |
What Thompson pays, when it is open
Up to $105,000 in loan repayment for 3 years of full-time outpatient care in an underserved area or approved site, for licensed physicians and surgeons providing direct patient care in a qualified California facility.
It is worth planning around — for the 2027 cycle. It is not worth planning a 2026 purchase around.
What CA-SLRP pays, and who it covers
CA-SLRP serves clinicians in federally designated California Health Professional Shortage Areas, and its eligible-profession list is broader than Thompson's: primary care physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, pharmacists, and mental or behavioural health providers.
HCAI publishes its funding: the programme "made a total of $6,228,000 in awards for Program Year 2024-25," of which the federal Health Resources and Services Administration provided $1,000,000.
You can check whether a worksite sits in a qualifying shortage area through HCAI's HPSA search tool before the window reopens.
★ What this means for a mortgage, which is our part
Three things, in order of how often they come up.
An award you have not been granted is not income. A lender underwrites documented, stable income. An anticipated loan-repayment award — from a programme that is not currently accepting applications — is not something a file can lean on.
The debt is still the debt. Until an award actually pays down a balance, your student loans underwrite as they stand. Which is precisely why the payment treatment matters so much: a physician programme can use your documented income-driven payment where a conventional loan counts 1% of the balance under Fannie Mae B3-6-05. The detail.
A future award is a reason to be careful about the loan you choose now, not a reason to wait. If you expect to apply in May 2027 and receive an award afterwards, that changes your balance later. It does not change what you can borrow this year, and California's market does not pause.
What else California runs
HCAI operates a wider family of health workforce loan repayment programmes than most states. These are not physician programmes, but several reach clinicians a physician-loan buyer may be married to or practising alongside:
| Programme | Award | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Student LRP | up to $240,000 | Medi-Cal safety-net settings |
| County Medical Services Program LRP | up to $50,000 | 2 years |
| Allied Healthcare LRP | up to $16,000 | 12 months |
| Bachelor of Science Nursing LRP | up to $15,000 | 12 months |
| Licensed Mental Health Services Provider Education Program | up to $15,000 | 12 months |
| Licensed Vocational Nurse LRP | up to $8,000 | 12 months |
We have not verified the current application status of each of those, only of the two physician programmes. Check the cycle on HCAI's own page before relying on any of them — which is the lesson of this entire page.
Why this page carries a date in every line
Because the answer changes. These programmes run on state budget cycles, and a page written in May 2026 would have told you Thompson was open — correctly, at the time. The same page today would be wrong, and nothing about it would look stale.
Everything here was read from HCAI's own pages on 2026-10-05. Before you act on it, check the date on this page against the date on theirs. How we source this.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Steven M. Thompson loan repayment program accepting applications?
No. HCAI showed the application cycle as CLOSED when checked on 2026-10-05, with the next cycle in May 2027. The 2026 window ran from May 1 to June 5, 2026.When does the California State Loan Repayment Program reopen?
HCAI shows the next application cycle in July 2027. The 2026 window ran from July 15 to September 15, 2026, and the programme is currently closed to new applications.Can a loan repayment award count as income for a mortgage?
An award that has not been granted is not documented, stable income and a lender cannot underwrite to it. Until an award actually reduces a balance, student loans underwrite as they stand, which is why the payment treatment under a physician programme matters.How much does the California State Loan Repayment Program award?
HCAI states the programme made a total of $6,228,000 in awards for Program Year 2024-25, of which the federal Health Resources and Services Administration provided $1,000,000. It serves clinicians in federally designated California Health Professional Shortage Areas.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or licensure advice. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees, and overlays are set by the lender and change; California loan-repayment program terms and application cycles change too. Confirm your scenario with us and your program administrator. All loans are subject to borrower and property qualification, including credit and income review.