$33,000 a Year, and the Hours Rules Are Specific
Program and regulatory figures verified October 9, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
One of the larger per-year loan forgiveness figures in this network, with an hours test that is more specific than most and worth reading before you sign anything.
The money
The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care "will make an annual payment to the participant in the amount of up to $33,000, not to exceed $132,000 total for the maximum four–year period or the balance of the designated loan(s), whichever is less subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature."
★ Three things sit inside that sentence. The annual figure is $33,000. The lifetime figure is $132,000. And it is capped at your actual balance, so a physician with $80,000 of qualifying debt does not draw $132,000.
★ The funding caveat is the Department's own, and it goes further: "The number of applicants ORHPC may select for participation varies annually and is contingent upon state funding." Eligibility is not selection, and we publish no odds.
★★ The hours test, which is stricter than the number suggests
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Weekly | at least 30 hours |
| Annually | at least 45 weeks |
| Obligation | three years minimum, four years maximum |
| ★★ What counts | direct patient care hours and client-centred services |
| ★★ What does not | "meeting with providers, process improvement, policy development, supervising, or administering programs" |
| Residence | participants "must live and work in Minnesota" |
★★ That exclusion list is the part to read twice. A physician with a service-line directorship, a quality-improvement portfolio or a teaching load is doing work the programme does not count toward the 30 hours. The threshold is low enough that most clinical posts clear it comfortably, but an administratively heavy role might not.
★ The 45-week year is the other quiet one. It leaves seven weeks, which has to cover annual leave, conference time and any parental or medical absence.
Which of the two programmes
The terms above are identical under both the Rural and Urban Physician programmes. What differs is only the geography test.
Which one applies to you · ★★ and why Rochester is in neither by geography.
Eligible specialties
From the Department's own wording, both programmes are open to: "Primary care physicians, pediatrician, family practice, internal medicine, psychiatrist and OB/GYN."
★ Psychiatry being on that list is worth noting. A number of state programmes treat psychiatry separately or exclude it; Minnesota puts it alongside family practice at the full $33,000.
★ Advanced practice providers have their own, smaller programme at $15,000 a year to $60,000. The full picture.
The cycle, with a date
As of 2026-10-09, both programme pages state the cycle will be open 1 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and both carry a last-updated stamp of 1 October 2026.
★ Applications go through the state's Online Grants Portal. ORHPC is reachable on 651-201-3838 and at health.loanforgiveness@state.mn.us.
★ We are not part of that application and cannot submit it. We publish the window because it is short and because missing it costs a year.
What it means for a mortgage
$132,000 across four years changes a debt trajectory. It does not reduce the balance an underwriter sees on the day you apply, and it is conditional on selection, on funding and on completing the obligation.
Buy on the salary. How debt is counted.
Mike Certo, NMLS #260555. (480) 296-6513 · mcerto@cfmtg.com.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Minnesota physician loan forgiveness per year?
Up to $33,000 per year, not to exceed $132,000 total for a maximum four-year period, or the balance of the designated loans, whichever is less. Payments are subject to funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature.What hours does Minnesota loan forgiveness require?
At least thirty hours per week for at least forty-five weeks per year, for a minimum of three years and a maximum of four. Hours count only as direct patient care or client-centred services, and cannot be fulfilled by meeting with providers, process improvement, policy development, supervising or administering programmes.Which specialties qualify for Minnesota physician loan forgiveness?
Primary care physicians, paediatrician, family practice, internal medicine, psychiatrist and OB/GYN, under both the rural and the urban programmes. Psychiatry is included at the full $33,000, which some state programmes do not do.Is Minnesota loan forgiveness guaranteed if I qualify?
No. The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care states that the number of applicants it may select varies annually and is contingent upon state funding, and that payments are subject to funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature.Do I have to live in Minnesota for the loan forgiveness programme?
Yes. The programme guidelines state that participants must live and work in Minnesota, in addition to meeting the hours and geography requirements.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 Minnesota Rural and Urban Physician Loan Forgiveness Programs are administered by the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care at the Minnesota Department of Health, not by Cornerstone; their terms, award amounts, eligibility and application cycles are set by that office and change, and payments are subject to funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature. Minnesota Statutes quoted here are reproduced so you can take them to your own attorney. Figures carry the date we verified them against primary sources. 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.