American Nurses Association
State Support for Nursing Scholarships and/or Loan Forgiveness
2007
The following represents information which was identified through StateScape, the
legislative tracking system used by ANA or that which was provided by the CMA as to
legislative support for nursing education. Some state data was not obtained.
.
State
Provisions / Appropriations
$500,000
designated for loan forgiveness for
Alabama
Arkansas
Colorado
Delaware
Georgia
Florida
Idaho
Iowa
nursing faculty
$ allocated to purchase capital equipment and
upgrade facilities for teaching nursing.
Health Pro Loan Repayment Program, an act
concerning repayment of education loans for
health professionals who agree to work in
medically underserved areas of the state, and
making an appropriation in connection
therewith. ($1,340,000)
Dollars were allocated as a line item to
expand both 2 year and 4 year nursing
programs; unsure of specific amount
designated.
$ 3 million was infused into the university
system to support nursing education
University of West Florida added an MSN
program
$301,000 allocated for expansion of nursing
programs in community colleges; $241,000
for 2 FT and 2 PT nursing instructors and a
health career advisor. Also, $165,000 as part
of the Governor’s Initiative for a nursing
faculty position at the State University Boise,
fast track and a half time nursing faculty
position for Lewis State College.
From the Registered Nurse and Nurse
Educator Loan Forgiveness Program Funds
appropriated for tuition grants for the fiscal
year beginning July 1, 207, up to $100,000
shall be used to provide loan forgiveness. The
college student aid commission shall submit
in a report to the chairpersons and ranking
members of the joint appropriations
subcommittee on education by January 1,
2009, the number of RNs and nurse educators
who received loan forgiveness in the fiscal
year beginning July 1, 2007, and the amount
paid to each of the RNs and nurse educators.
It is the intent of the general assembly that
Iowa
Continued
Kansas
Louisiana
Minnesota
Mississippi
Michigan
Missouri
New Mexico
appropriations made for purposes of the RN
and nurse educator loan forgiveness program
for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and
each succeeding fiscal year, be distributed
under the program for RNs and nurse
educators.
Nurse Education Services Scholarship
program supports up to 70% of costs
associated with full time attendance in pursuit
of a degree with a commitment to teach
nursing in KS.
Dollars allocated to support capital outlays for
nursing programs.
Loan Forgiveness programs have been
established for health care and allied health
professions. Individuals are required to secure
the loan themselves. Allocated for nursing:
approximately $6,750. annually for up to 4
years for a nurse who agrees to teach at least
20 hours/week in a post secondary nursing
program for a minimum of 3 years same $
amount for a midlevel practitioner who agrees
to serve a minimum of 4 years in a rural area;
approximately $3,750 for students in RN and
LPN programs who agree to serve a minimum
of 3 years in a nursing home; and Psych Nurse
Specialists are eligible for $20 – 25,000 a year
for 2 years when agreeing to practice in a
federally designated HPSA, rural or urban
area.
Allocates $6,000 salary increase per full time
equivalent for all nursing faculty of
institutions of higher learning. Also
$1,200,000. to community / junior colleges
for hiring of nursing and allied health faculty
and for interest free student loans for nursing
and allied health.
Expresses the legislative intent that
appropriations directed to community colleges
are to be used in part for expansion of nursing
programs, with the expectation that colleges
will report results back to the legislature.
(enrollment, graduation rates)
Allows nurses working in any area of need to
qualify for the Professional and Practical
Nursing Student Loan Program.
Appropriates $28,000.00 for the purchase of a
universal patient simulator for the nursing
program in at the Roswell Campus of eastern
New Mexico University in Chaves County
and
$500,000 for faculty salaries at colleges and
university nursing programs
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
$1,027,000 in new money to assist
independent colleges and universities to
expand and improve their nursing education
programs. The funds are available to associate
degree and baccalaureate programs at
nonprofit institutions. Assistance to schools
will be provided on a per-student basis, with
$250 per student going to two-year programs
and $500 per student going to four-year
programs.
Nursing Faculty Support: $2 million of the
$4 million available to students through the
Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty
Scholarship and Loan Forgiveness Program
will be allocated for scholarships. The
program, which has been in place for two
years, previously allocated $1 million for
scholarships. The program provides assistance
to RNs who are earning advanced degrees in
order to teach nursing. Funds will be available
to students pursuing either a master’s or
doctoral degree.
Nursing received $1,200,000 in 2006 for
nursing faculty scholarships. This allowed
the state to award 80 scholarships for
nurses seeking master’s degrees or PHDs
in nursing. The NC General Assembly
added an additional $1,200,000 during the
2007 legislative session, increasing the
number of potential scholarships per year
to total 160. Students receive $15,000 a
year for two years for master’s
preparation or $15,000 for PHD work.
The students will repay the state one-year
of teaching for every scholarship’s year
received.
Provision for a nursing education consortium:
to establish a mobile clinical nursing
simulation laboratory and apply for public and
private grants to support nursing education.
Approximately $ 4.5 million appropriated
in 2006 and again in 2007 for expanding
health care capacity; some directed to
allied health education, with the vast
Oklahoma
(Continued)
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
majority directed to nursing faculty and
undergraduate nursing education
scholarships. This money was disbursed
by the Regents directly to nursing
programs that submitted proposals—those
funded met certain criteria.
Approximately $7.5 million has been
designated for nursing education initiatives,
such as: up to $50,000 of qualified loan debt
can be forgiven in exchange for 3-5 years as a
nurse educator at an approved nursing
program; grants and scholarships to graduate
nursing programs; and an interim student loan
guarantee program to fund unmet needs of
nursing students prior to tapping the Family
Federal Education Loan Program. Additional
details can be found at
www.paworkforce.state.pa.us .
The "South Carolina critical needs nursing
initiative act" includes provisions
establishing the critical needs nursing
initiative fund to improve the number of
qualified nurses in this state by providing
nursing faculty salary enhancements, creating
new faculty positions, providing for additional
nursing student scholarships, loans, and
grants, establishing the office for health care
workforce research to analyze health care
workforce supply and demand, and providing
for the use of simulation technology and
equipment in the education of nurses.
In 2006 Tennessee passed legislation to
authorize the loan forgiveness program. The
nursing community raised the initial 1.4
million dollars and now the program is slated
to be funded on an ongoing basis. The bill
provides loans to nurses who return to school
to get a masters or doctorate. For every year
they teach in a Tennessee school of nursing
25% of the loan is forgiven.
TX enacted legislation that creates a
hospital-based nursing education
partnership grant program. It includes use
of professional nursing shortage reduction
program grants to encourage clinical
nursing instruction by part-time faculty at
public or private institutions of higher
education.
Virginia
West Virginia
The Governor authorized $1.7 million for an
increase in nursing faculty salaries.
Instituted a loan repayment program for
healthcare providers up to 100% of the
amount of the loan when agreeing to terms.