If you’re grappling with the high costs of your school loan for your education, there are many programs available through a series of Federal and State-based financial assistance programs. These benefits can be determined based on the area in which you live, position (whether you are an RN, or a Nurse Practitioner, etc.), and level of education. In this series, we’ll look at some of the most popular programs.
Below are some basic guidelines around the Federal NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC). In short, repayment benefits are paid based on your length of service. However, there are many requirements and restrictions that apply. Please be sure to investigate the options thoroughly to ensure you are eligible and can take advantage of forgiveness benefits.
The NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC)
By definition, the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program enables dedicated registered nurses committed to caring for underserved people to serve in hospitals and clinics in some of America’s neediest communities, improving the lives of their patients and transforming their own.
Benefit Overview:
- For 2 years of nursing service at a qualifying facility, the Federal Government will pay off 60% of your qualifying nursing school loan
- For 1 additional year of nursing service, the Federal Government will pay off another 25% of your original loan balance
Service obligation at one of the thousands of eligible nonprofit hospitals, clinics, nursing schools and other facilities located in designated mental health or primary medical care Health Professional Shortage Areas across the U.S.
Results
Funding preference is based on your financial need and the facility where you work. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in FY 2015, the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program:
- received more than 6,000 eligible applications,
- made approximately 600 initial awards to RNs and advanced practice registered nurses working at Critical Shortage Facilities and
- gave out more than 1,110 initial awards to nurse faculty working at eligible schools of nursing, awarding a total of $39.7 million.
- 95% of those awards were made to RNs and advanced practice registered nurses working in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) with scores of 14 or higher.
This program will open again for applications in early 2017.
