Student Loan Debt Burden in the Public Health Workforce.

This article characterizes the student loan debt burden among state and local governmental public health staff in the United States, using data from the nationally representative 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS). Findings indicate that over 40% of the public health workforce carries student loan debt, averaging $48,000 among those with any balance, with disparities observed by age, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment. The study highlights that student loan debt, coupled with relatively uncompetitive salaries, poses a significant barrier to recruitment and retention in governmental public health, and that loan forgiveness and repayment programs—such as the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program (PHWLRP) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)—are important but currently limited policy tools. Recent federal legislative changes may further complicate loan forgiveness eligibility, potentially exacerbating workforce shortages. The authors suggest that addressing student loan debt is a critical policy consideration for strengthening the governmental public health workforce.