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Incoming LLS fellows may have a choice of hiring mechanisms depending on citizenship status and other factors.

  • U.S. citizens have two options
    • Civil Service (under Title-42 Fellowships and Other Training Programs)
    • U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps
  • U.S. permanent residents are eligible only for civil service
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

See Pay & Leave Salaries & Wages by location. LLS base pay is GS 12 step 3

Civil Service

Upon initial appointment, the Title-42 fellowship entry grade will be set comparable to the Federal Government General Schedule (GS) base pay rate equivalent of GS-12, step 3 regardless of previous experience and compensation. An additional locality pay, for non-medical LLS fellows, is based on the location of the official duty station.

Additional incentives include:

  • Thrift Savings Plan
  • Federal Employees Retirement System Benefit Plan
  • Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan
  • Federal Employees Group Life Insurance
  • Federal Employees Vision and Dental Insurance Program
  • 4 hours of annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave every 2 weeks (13 days total of each)

U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps (U.S. Citizens Only)

The USPHS is one of the seven Uniformed Services. It is a specialized career system designed to attract, develop, and retain health professionals to accomplish its mission.

Incoming LLS fellows must meet eligibility criteria for the Commissioned Corps:

  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Be less than 44 years of age (at date of entry into LLS)
  • Have a degree in an appropriate health-related discipline
  • Meet medical standards

Student Loan Repayment

LLS fellows may be eligible to receive up to $50K a year in student loan repayment for a 2-year service agreement, based on availability of funding. To be eligible for this student loan repayment recruitment incentive, candidates must:

  1. Have qualifying student loans that are federally made, insured, or guaranteed. Primary care loans (PCLs) and consolidated loans with a spouse are not eligible. Loan repayments are limited to those participants with a substantial amount of educational loans relative to income, which is defined as educational loans that are more than 20% of the participant’s annual CDC base salary.
  2. Be a U.S. citizen.
  3. Have a degree from an accredited institution.
  4. Be accepted into one of five CDC fellowship programs:
    1. Epidemic Intelligence Service,
    2. Laboratory Leadership Service,
    3. Public Heath Informatics Fellowship,
    4. Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship, or the
    5. Future Leaders in Infections and Global Health Threats Fellowship

Once accepted into LLS, program staff will communicate the process to apply for loan repayment to those who are eligible. Visit the Educational Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals page for more information about loan repayment.