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8/18/2025
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Rhode Island Commerce opens Wavemaker Fellowship application with designated funding for primary care providers
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 STATE HOUSE – Today, Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick), Senate President Valarie J. Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence), Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor and Commerce Corporation President & CEO Jim Bennett announce the start of a new application period for the Wavemaker Fellowship, a competitive student loan reimbursement program for professionals working in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), certain design fields, healthcare and education. The purpose is to retain their talents in Rhode Island.
The Wavemaker Fellowship awards recent college graduates in the above fields refundable tax credits of up to $6,000 per year for up to four years.
Last year, the General Assembly added $500,000 to the Wavemaker program reserved specifically for primary care providers (PCPs)—helping address Rhode Island’s shortage.
"The Wavemaker Fellowship program has been extremely successful in covering the cost of student loans to encourage the pursuit of careers in several fields. The General Assembly has had a major focus on addressing the primary care crisis and we were proud to expand the Wavemaker program for primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants. Few issues are as important as health care, and we know that many providers are feeling enormous strain. Extending financial incentives for graduates pursuing these fields is another step toward addressing the primary care crisis," said Speaker Shekarchi and Senate President Lawson.
To be eligible, PCPs must be medical doctors, physician assistants or nurse practitioners who work in the following primary care specialties:
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Family medicine (adolescent, adult or geriatric)
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Pediatrics
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Internal medicine (adolescent, adult or geriatric)
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Community health
"Reimbursing student loan costs for those working in critical fields not only helps ease the financial burden on talented professionals but also strengthens important industries that help to keep our state’s economy moving," said Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor. "We thank the General Assembly for the additional funding to support primary care providers—which helps to ensure that every Rhode Islander has access to the care they need."
"Having a strong foundation for primary care means we can prevent more illnesses and help more Rhode Islanders have overall positive health outcomes," said Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Secretary Richard Charest. "That’s why this opportunity to support a robust primary care workforce, paired with the infusion of millions of dollars into the state’s primary care system, are critical to the overall health and wellbeing of all Rhode Islanders."
Applications are due by October 13.
More information, including frequently asked questions and the application, are available online at wavemaker.commerceri.com.
For more information, contact:
Legislative Press Bureau,
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2457
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