03-19799. New Annual “Low-Income” Levels for Various Health Professions and Nursing Programs Included in Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act

AGENCY:

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces the new “low-income” levels for various programs included in titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, which use the U.S. Census Bureau “low-income” levels to determine eligibility for program participation. The Department periodically publishes in the Federal Register low-income levels used to determine eligibility for grants and cooperative agreements to institutions providing training for (1) disadvantaged individuals, (2) individuals from a disadvantaged background, or (3) individuals from “low-income” families.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice announces increase in income levels intended for use in determining eligibility for participation in the following programs:

Advanced Education Nursing (section 811)

Allied Health Special Projects (section 755)

Nurse Education, Practice and Retention (section 831)

Dental Public Health (section 768)

Faculty Loan Repayment and Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (section 738)

General and Pediatric Dentistry (section 747)

Health Administration Traineeships and Special Projects (section 769)

Health Careers Opportunity Program (section 739)

Loans For Disadvantaged Students (section 724)

Scholarships For Disadvantaged Students (section 737)

Physician Assistant Training (section 747)

Primary Care Residency Training (section 747)

Public Health Traineeships (section 767)

Quentin N. Burdick Program for Rural Interdisciplinary Training (section 754)

Residency Training in Preventive Medicine (section 768)

Public Health Training Centers (section 766)

Nursing Workforce Diversity (section 821)

These programs generally award grants to accredited schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, public health, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, allied health, podiatric medicine, nursing, chiropractic, public or private nonprofit schools which offer graduate programs in behavioral health and mental health practice, and other public or private nonprofit health or education entities to assist the disadvantaged to enter and graduate from health professions and nursing schools. Some programs provide for the repayment of health professions or nursing education loans for disadvantaged students.

Low-Income Levels

The Department's poverty guidelines which were published in the Federal Register on Friday, February 7, 2003 (68 FR 6456), are based on poverty thresholds published by the U.S. Census Bureau, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index. HRSA is defining a “low-income family” as one with an annual income that is below 200 percent of the Department's poverty guidelines. The Secretary annually adjusts the low-income levels based on the Department's poverty guideline and makes them available to persons responsible for administering the applicable programs. The following income figures will be used for health professions and nursing grant programs funded in FY 2004.

Size of parent's family 1	Income 2 level
1	$17,960
2	24,240
3	30,520
4	36,800
5	43,080
6	49,360
7	55,640
8	61,920
1. Includes only dependents on Federal Income tax forms.
2. Adjusted gross income for calendar year 2002.

Dated: July 29, 2003.

Elizabeth M. Duke,

Administrator.