FRAME is narrower than you think, and has a condition nobody mentions
Program and regulatory figures verified October 5, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Two conditions decide most FRAME questions, and neither is on the brochures: your specialty, and twenty-five hours a year.
★ Primary care only
The Florida Department of Health's eligible-practitioner list opens with a line doing a great deal of work:
"Physicians with primary care specialties, including psychiatrists"
So FRAME is not a programme for Florida physicians generally. It is a programme for primary care physicians, with psychiatry explicitly pulled inside. A cardiologist, an anaesthesiologist, a surgeon or a radiologist is outside it regardless of debt or practice setting.
The psychiatry inclusion is worth noting in its own right, because psychiatrists also post the highest mental-health award figures in Florida's report — a maximum of $146,484 and an average of $64,793. The award figures.
★ The 25-hour volunteer condition
Under a heading the department labels New Volunteer Service Requirement:
"Qualified applicant payments are contingent upon the completion of 25 hours of volunteer primary care services annually in a free clinic or other approved community service project."
"Contingent upon" is the operative phrase. This is not a scoring preference or a tiebreak — it is a condition attached to payment, every year you receive one.
Twenty-five hours is not onerous. Discovering it in year two, after you have already budgeted the award, is.
The full eligible list
- Physicians with primary care specialties, including psychiatrists
- Physician assistants (PA)
- Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) with primary care specialties
- APRNs registered to engage in autonomous practice (AP APRN), under §464.0123, Florida Statutes
- Licensed practical nurses (LPN) and registered nurses (RN)
- Licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed mental health counselors, and licensed psychologists
- Dentists and dental hygienists
And a licensing condition that catches people mid-cycle: all applicants "must hold a clear/active Florida license throughout the entire cycle from application submission to receipt of awards if selected."
When the windows open
| Programme | 2027 award cycle window |
|---|---|
| FRAMEpc (primary care) | March 1 – April 30 |
| FRAMEmh (mental health) | March 1 – April 30 |
| FRAMEdental | March 1 – June 30 |
Note the dental window is two months longer.
★ For a 2026 purchase this matters in one direction only: no FRAME award is arriving in time to change your file this year. An award you have not been granted is not income a lender can use, and until it pays a balance down the balance underwrites as it stands. What that means today.
★ Florida is not unusual in this
We build physician sites in several states, and the 2026 picture is consistent. California's two physician loan-repayment programmes are closed until May and July 2027. Texas's two operate, but the administering agency publishes no programme page at all. Florida's next cycle is 2027, with dates at least published clearly.
In all three, the practical answer for a purchase this year is the same: plan the mortgage on the debt you have, not the award you hope for.
Where awards actually land
Overwhelmingly safety-net settings — 454 awards at federally qualified health centers, 65 at veterans affairs and military clinics, 43 at county health departments, 35 at rural health clinics, 27 at correctional institutions, 11 at free clinics.
If your practice setting is not among those, your realistic odds differ from the headline, whatever your specialty.
Frequently asked questions
Does FRAME cover all Florida physicians?
No. The eligible practitioner list covers physicians with primary care specialties, including psychiatrists. Specialists outside primary care, such as cardiologists, surgeons, anaesthesiologists and radiologists, do not qualify.Is there a volunteer requirement for FRAME?
Yes. The Florida Department of Health states that qualified applicant payments are contingent upon the completion of 25 hours of volunteer primary care services annually in a free clinic or other approved community service project.When can I apply for FRAME?
The next windows are for the 2027 award cycle. FRAME primary care and FRAME mental health run March 1 through April 30, and FRAME dental runs March 1 through June 30. Applicants must hold a clear and active Florida license throughout the entire cycle.Do psychiatrists qualify for FRAME?
Yes. The eligible practitioner list specifies physicians with primary care specialties, including psychiatrists. Florida's 2025 Annual Report shows psychiatrists with a maximum payment of $146,484 and an average payment of $64,793.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or licensure advice. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees, and overlays are set by the lender and change; Florida FRAME award amounts, eligibility and application cycles change too. Confirm your scenario with us and your program administrator. All loans are subject to borrower and property qualification, including credit and income review.