Two Eligibility Lists, and People Confuse Them Constantly
Program and regulatory figures verified October 9, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
The single most common confusion we see on Michigan files: assuming that because you qualify for the mortgage, you qualify for the award. Or the reverse.
★★ Start here: they are two different questions
| The physician loan | MSLRP | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | ★ the lender | ★ MDHHS |
| Turns on | your degree and your contract | your degree and your practice site |
| Geography | irrelevant | ★ central, usually a HPSA |
| Employer type | irrelevant | ★ must be an eligible nonprofit site |
You can be a perfect physician-loan borrower and ineligible for MSLRP, or the reverse. Treat them separately.
Who MSLRP accepts
The programme is aimed at medical, dental and mental health primary care providers. Reported eligible provider types include dentists (DDS/DMD), physicians (MD/DO), physician assistants, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, clinical and counselling psychologists, licensed professional counsellors, clinical social workers and mental health counsellors.
★ Note how far that reaches beyond physicians, and the 2026 priority list makes the point: it names "Inpatient Pediatric Psychiatrists, Inpatient Pediatric Physician Assistants in Psychiatric Unit, and Inpatient Pediatric Nurse Practitioners in Psychiatric Unit" together. A PA or NP in the right setting is a priority applicant. The priorities.
★ The site matters as much as the degree
MSLRP requires employment at eligible nonprofit practice sites providing primary health care services to ambulatory populations, and generally inside a Health Professional Shortage Area.
Three ways that bar moves:
- Genesee County: the HPSA requirement is waived entirely.
- Inpatient pediatric psychiatry: may be hospital-based, treating inpatients, at a site without a mental-health HPSA designation.
- HPSA score 8+: promotes a non-priority site, provided every site you work is at 8 or above.
Who the loan is for
Physicians (MD/DO) and dentists (DDS/DMD) are the core of essentially every physician mortgage programme. Many extend further, to podiatrists, optometrists, veterinarians, pharmacists, CRNAs, PAs and NPs, and the list differs by lender.
★ We are not publishing a degree list here, because it is a lender term that changes and a stale list on a website is how someone concludes they do not qualify when they do. Dentists specifically.
Tell us your degree and your contract and we will tell you which programmes are open to you today.
Residents and fellows
Trainees are frequently eligible for the loan, which is much of its point, the 150-day rule exists for people whose income has not started. Terms for trainees differ from attendings. The timing rule.
For MSLRP, the service obligation requires qualifying employment, so a training post is a different question and one for MDHHS.
Mike Certo, NMLS #260555. (480) 296-6513.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for a physician loan in Michigan?
Physicians (MD/DO) and dentists (DDS/DMD) are the core of essentially every programme, and many lenders extend to podiatrists, optometrists, veterinarians, pharmacists, CRNAs, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Eligible degrees are a lender term that differs between programmes and changes, so it should be confirmed rather than taken from a published list.Who can apply to the Michigan State Loan Repayment Program?
The programme targets medical, dental and mental health primary care providers. Reported eligible types include dentists, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, clinical and counselling psychologists, licensed professional counsellors, clinical social workers and mental health counsellors. Eligibility also depends on the practice site, which must generally be an eligible nonprofit site serving an ambulatory population in a Health Professional Shortage Area.If I qualify for a physician loan, do I qualify for MSLRP?
No, they are separate questions decided by different parties. A lender decides physician loan eligibility based on your degree and contract. MDHHS decides MSLRP eligibility based on your degree and your practice site, including whether it is a nonprofit site serving an ambulatory population and whether it sits in a shortage area.Can physician assistants and nurse practitioners get Michigan loan repayment?
Yes. The programme's eligible provider types include physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and the 2026 priority list specifically names inpatient pediatric physician assistants and nurse practitioners in psychiatric units alongside inpatient pediatric psychiatrists.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about physician mortgage financing, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax or financial advice. The Michigan State Loan Repayment Program is administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, not by Cornerstone; its terms, award amounts, priorities and application windows are set by MDHHS and change. Figures here carry the date we verified them against the programme's own published materials. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees and overlays are set by the lender and change. All loans are subject to borrower, property and program qualification.