Cleveland-based University Hospitals has launched a student loan repayment program for newly graduated radiologic professionals and respiratory therapists to strengthen its clinical workforce across Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.
Eligible participants can receive up to $20,000 in employer-sponsored student loan repayment, distributed over two years of employment, subject to program terms and eligibility requirements, according to a July 31 news release. Students can apply while still enrolled in an accredited radiologic or respiratory therapy program, and selected candidates will receive loan repayment after they are employed by University Hospitals.
The program joins a broader wave of hospitals using loan repayment as a recruitment tool. As of July 2025, Boston Children’s Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Northwestern Medicine, Novant Health and OhioHealth had collectively committed more than $100 million to loan repayment and early job commitments for early-career clinicians. Some systems offered up to $75,000 over three years for roles including nurse anesthesia, radiologic and surgical technology, respiratory therapy and physical therapy. Trinity Health’s Saint Alphonsus launched a similar program in May 2025, citing average student debt ranging from about $40,000 for nurses to more than $200,000 for CRNAs.
The launch also comes amid broader concerns about healthcare student debt. Federal student loan caps included in this year’s budget reconciliation law have prompted concern among teaching hospitals and medical schools about worsening workforce shortages. College students are also rethinking their education plans in response.
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