Rural Communities Healthcare Investment Grant Program

The Rural Communities Healthcare Investment Program (RCHIP) is administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to support the recruitment and retention of non-physician healthcare professionals in medically underserved rural communities throughout Texas. The program is funded through a permanent endowment established from the Texas tobacco settlement and is authorized under Texas Government Code Sections 487.558-.559, as well as Texas Government Code Chapter 487, Subchapter M and Texas Administrative Code Chapter 30, Subchapter B, Division 7. The program is intended to address healthcare workforce shortages in rural and underserved regions by providing financial incentives to licensed healthcare professionals willing to practice in qualifying communities. RCHIP provides a one-time award of $10,000 in the form of either student loan repayment assistance or a stipend payment to eligible non-physician healthcare providers. Selected participants must complete a consecutive 12-month service obligation at an eligible healthcare facility located in a medically underserved area, health professional shortage area, or a Texas county with a population of 50,000 or fewer residents. Eligible healthcare professionals may include nurses, physician assistants, occupational therapists, physical therapists, pharmacists, emergency medical technicians, dentists, speech pathologists, optometrists, and licensed mental health practitioners, among others. Telemedicine or telecommunications technology may not serve as the sole or primary method of fulfilling service obligations, and participants must provide in-person healthcare services. Applicants must hold a valid Texas license, permit, certificate, registration, or other authorization required to practice in a healthcare profession and must reside in Texas. Eligible applicants must either have received their professional license within the previous 24 months before the application deadline or must have relocated, or plan to relocate, from a county with more than 150,000 residents to a qualifying rural or underserved community. Applicants may not already be participating in another healthcare service obligation or state-funded loan repayment program during the same service period, except for participation in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Applicants must also not have previously received an RCHIP award. The FY 2026 application deadline was April 2, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Applications were required to be submitted electronically through the TDA-GO online grant management system. Mailed, faxed, emailed, or hand-delivered applications were not accepted. Applicants were instructed to create a TDA-GO account at least 48 to 72 hours before the deadline to allow sufficient time for approval and system access. Required application components included applicant contact information, professional licensing and employment details, community and employer information, loan documentation if requesting loan repayment assistance, certification and electronic signature forms, a Texas Identification Number application, direct deposit authorization, and a W-9 form. The application system required applicants to complete all mandatory sections and formally submit the application within the TDA-GO portal before the deadline. Applications are reviewed competitively because funding availability is limited. TDA evaluates applications using criteria established in administrative rules, with the largest scoring factor based on the Health Professional Shortage Area score associated with the applicant’s worksite county. Additional points are awarded for graduating from a Texas health professional program, requesting student loan reimbursement rather than a stipend, and maintaining full-time employment status of at least 32 hours per week. In cases of tied scores, county poverty rates are used as a secondary consideration, with preference given to applicants serving areas with higher poverty rates. TDA reserves the right to partially fund projects, negotiate award terms, or revise award amounts if funds remain available. Award notifications for the FY 2026 cycle were anticipated in June 2026, with an expected project start date of July 1, 2026 and an end date of June 30, 2027. Payment is issued only after successful completion of the 12-month service obligation and submission of employment verification documentation. If award funds are used for student loan repayment, participants must provide proof of payment to the loan servicer. Grant recipients are required to maintain financial and project records for at least four years following the completion of the project and must comply with all applicable state and federal grant management requirements. Program questions and grant administration support are provided by the Texas Department of Agriculture Grants Office through Grants@TexasAgriculture.gov and by grant specialists Emily Daly and Bradine Griffiths.

Applicants serving counties with higher HPSA scores may receive stronger competitive scoring. Full-time employment status and requesting student loan reimbursement instead of a stipend may improve scoring outcomes. Submit TDA-GO registration materials at least 48-72 hours before the deadline to avoid account approval delays.