I'm stoked

[Rebel]

When I decided to go to PA school I did not qualify for any grants because of my income as a respiratory therapist, and I did not fall into any "special needs group" so I had to go into some pretty good sized debt to pay for it, school loans, to the tune of about 65k, I've got that down to about 56k, and will be paying for it until I die, or until another 26 years go by, whatever comes first (in actuality, probably 15-20 years).

Well to my relief today I found out that it looks like about 50k of that will get paid for by a federal government loan repayment program set up to help provide medical providers to populations of medically under served. So if it does come through all I have to do is to continue to work with a clinic that serves the under served populations for two more years, no big deal to me because I have been doing that for the last four years. FYI, no this is not an Obama thing, actually Bush was a big supporter of it and funneled more money into it than other administrations had. But part of the stimulus package did funnel more money into it.

Anyway, I have applied for this before, but had not really had any hope to get it because until this year the clinics I had been working at while qualified, were not deemed as bad off as others and the money went to those other clinics to recruit medical providers.

I'm hoping I get it this time, I've been paying about $500.00 a month towards these loans and that money will get to go towards a new shop and a new scooter to be worked on in that shop.

[numbski]

Heh - good luck man. I paid off my student loans a few years ago - greatest feeling in the world, let me tell ya! Now I'm working on the retirement savings thing again and trying hard to stay off the credit card treadmill.

[shescoots]

Doug, I am keeping my fingers crossed for you and wishing you lots of luck.
I really believe that good things happens to good people.

[astroprof]

Doug that sounds great. So you're in a medically under served area?

[Rebel]

Ya, most of my patients are farm workers, on welfare, getting all the benefits they can. Honestly, most are not doing very well financially, some do abuse the system, most are having a hard time. I don't know if many of you know about this but, I live in the central valley of California. This was once the most productive agricultural land in the world. If you ever read the novel The Grapes of Wrath, or saw the old black and white movie with Henry Fonda as a young man escaping the dust bowl in Oklahoma/Texas/Arkansas back in the 1930s. I live where they migrated to. Later Caesar Chavez started the whole Farm Workers Union near where I live.

Well today, the farm land is all gradually being put out of production because the water is now required to go down the river to the ocean to satisfy environmental concerns about a three inch fish called the Delta Smelt. There is no water to irrigate farmlands, farmers are having to stop planting, farm workers have no jobs, no money to buy food or pay for rent, land here is starting to look like the land did in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas did back in the 1930's. Thank You, Sierra Club and the Democrat party, yes the democrat party, it is the one that stops all efforts to do something about turning some water back to the farmland. Our own State senators, both are democrats, both live in ultra left wing cities when they come back here, both always vote against the people they represent as do almost every one of the democrat members of the house of representatives.

Our wonderful politicians would rather keep all these farm workers on welfare making them fully dependent on the government, instead of making it so they can actually earn a living.

[oldchopperguy]

Rebel,

Ah, the same old tree-huggin, job-disappearin', save the "whatever" instead of save the jobs... I thought I smelt something rotten!

Couldn't resist that one! Sure hope you get the benefit of this one: you surely provide benefits for others is need. Time for a little harvest on your hard work!

Sincerely,

Leo (& Betty) in Texas

PS: Here's an "inspiration" (red, and everything!) for a build in your new shop for the General... A Harley Sportster-powered Cushman Eagle. How cool is that?

[jmkjr72]

that program is a great program
when i was getting out of the army there was a simular or it may have even been the same program
i had was in the progress of getting into the program(the one i was trying to get into would have paid for my school then i would have had to work in the clinic of there choice for x amount of years) i made the mistake of putting it on hold for a couple of reasons first one was when i would be getting out of school the only areas that would have had openings were inner city (and im a country boy so not the choice for me) and the other my folks were having issues with my brother that could have cost them the farm(thats one of many reasons i took and early out to go home and help on the farm)
but its nice to see a program like that still going or having been expanded

[Rebel]

Same program, sounds like you got the scholarship part of it were they pay the tuition as you go, when I was in school they also gave a $1,300.00 monthly stipend to you. I did not qualify for that one.

[rockhound]

Congrats rebel ! When I got out in 1971 there was 1 school in the U.S. that offered PA back logged
5yr wait! Tried LPN/LVN for a couple of years( Feds froze wage so product price's would catch up with wages) then went to driving 18 wheeler's 40yr.My bigest mistake. Hopefuly you will make the brake this time.