A loan recipient who wishes to repay his/her loan with service shall file an application for approval with the Board prior to the anticipated date to enter the practice of optometry.
- (a) The application must name the area and give the approximate date the practice will begin.
- (b) The application should present a resume of the conditions in the area which warrant classifying the area as critically in need of additional optometric service.
- (c) The Board shall review and evaluate all available information to determine whether or not the area, in the Board's judgement, qualifies as an area critically in need of additional optometric service.
- (d) A loan recipient who accepts a position in Alabama public health or serves as an optometrist in a state institution is eligible to apply to repay his/her loan with service rather than cash.
- (e) The Board will notify the applicant promptly when a decision has been reached.
Author: Board of Optometric Scholarship and Loan Awards
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 34-22-60, et seq.
History: Filed September 7, 1984. Amended: Published June 30, 2025; effective August 14, 2025.