Assistance to Health Profession Students Affected by the Phaseout of the HEAL Program

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) concerning assistance to health professions students who cannot borrow under the Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program because of the phase out of that program. ED is extending the authority of certain eligible institutions to award increased annual loan amounts of Unsubsidized Stafford Loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program into the 1998-99 academic year.  In addition, eligible schools may award these increased funds to all otherwise eligible health professions students without regard to those students' earlier eligibility for HEAL. Finally, the Department established increased aggregate loan limits for pharmacy undergraduate students who are eligible to receive additional unsubsidized loans under the provisions of this letter.

A copy of this DCL is available on ED's web-site at http://ifap.ed.gov. If you are unable to access this web-site and would like a copy of the DCL, please contact Lynda Reid at (801) 321-7211. Any questions concerning this DCL may be directed to the Policy and Training Department at (801) 321-7166.