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H H S Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration

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Nursing Scholarship Program

The Nursing Scholarship Program application cycle for the 2012-2013 school year is closed.

  • Applicants selected to receive funding will be notified by August 31, 2012.
  • Applicants who submitted complete application packages, but are not selected to receive funding, will be notified by September 30, 2012.
  • Sign up to receive an e-mail when the 2013 Nursing Scholarship Program application cycle opens.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How do I apply to the Nursing Scholarship Program?
    The application deadline for the 2012-2013 academic year was 5 pm ET, May 8, 2012. Those interested in applying to the Nursing Scholarship Program should read the Application & Program Guidance. To prepare to apply for the Nursing Scholarship Program for the 2013-2014 academic year, read the Application and Program Guidance.
  2. What if I change my mind about going into nursing after I have accepted the Nursing Scholarship?
    Accepting a Nursing Scholarship is a serious commitment to serve as a registered nurse in a facility with a critical shortage of nurses. If you accept the scholarship and change your mind about nursing before you have completed nursing school or your service commitment, you have breached your contract with the U.S. Government and must pay back all monies paid to you directly and to the school on your behalf, with interest. The amount owed, including interest, must be paid within 3 years of the date of your default. Please note that participants who default on their NSP contract are ineligible to participate in federal loan repayment programs, including the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.  
    For more information, see Breaching the Contract, Suspension, and Waiver.
  3. What is an eligible health facility where Nursing Scholarship Program participants can fulfill the service obligation?
    NSP participants are expected to serve at a Tier 1 Critical Shortage Facility, e.g. one of the following types of facilities, located or primarily serving a primary care or mental health Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) with a score of 14 or higher:
    • Critical Access Hospital; 
    • Disproportionate Share Hospital; 
    • Federally Qualified Health Center; 
    • Indian Health Service Health Center; 
    • Public Hospital; Native Hawaiian Health Center; 
    • Rural Health Clinic; 
    • Skilled Nursing Facility; 
    • State or Local Public Health or Human Services Department 

NSP participants are responsible for finding their own employment site and confirming its eligibility with the Program. The NSP reserves the right of final approval to ensure a participant’s compliance with statutory requirements related to the service obligation. For more information, see Service Requirements and Eligible Sites under NSP.

  1. Are there any sites where I could be employed as a nurse that would not fulfill the Nursing Scholarship service obligation?
    Ineligible facilities include, but are not limited to:
    Renal Dialysis Centers; Private Practice Offices; Assisted Living Facilities; Clinics in Prisons and Correctional Facilities; Private For-Profit Facilities; and Free Standing Clinics that do not qualify as one of the facilities listed in the Application and Program Guidance under “Service Requirements and Eligible Sites under NSP.”
    For more information, see Service Requirements and Eligible Sites under NSP.
  2. What type of nursing degree program must I be accepted or enrolled in to apply for to the Nursing Scholarship Program?
    NSP participants may be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited associate, collegiate (baccalaureate or graduate level), or diploma school of nursing.  See Section 801 of the Public Health Service Act for a full and complete definition of these terms.  The educational programs in the school of nursing must be accredited by a national nursing accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. First preference for funding is given to students who have a zero expected family contribution and are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in undergraduate programs as full-time students.
    Students enrolled in LPN programs, bridge programs, self-paced study programs, dual degree programs and RN to BSN programs are not eligible to apply.
    For information on Nursing Scholarship Program eligibility requirements, see Eligibility Requirements.
  3. How many hours must I work at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses to be considered full-time?
    Full-time employment is considered to be no less than 32 hours of nursing services per week for a minimum of 45 weeks per year.  At least 26 hours of the minimum 32 hours per week must be spent providing clinical services (direct patient care) to patients.
    Only with approval from the Secretary may a participant complete the service obligation on a part-time basis. Participants wishing to serve part-time must obtain prior approval from the NSP and must extend the service obligation to equal the full-time commitment.
    For more information, see Understanding the Contract and Length of the Service Commitment.
  4. When does the Nursing Scholarship service obligation begin?
    Nursing participants have up to 6 months from the date of graduation to (1) obtain a nursing license and (2) accept an offer of employment from an NSP approved facility.
    Participants have up to 3 months following the day of their acceptance of such job offer to commence full-time (or if approved part-time) clinical services at a critical shortage facility.
    For more information, see Service Requirements and Eligible Sites under NSP.
  5. How much is the Nursing Scholarship Program monthly stipend and when is the payment made?
    For the 2012-2013 academic year the monthly stipend will be $1,289.  The stipend is disbursed by the end of each month; payments are not considered late until the 15th of the following month. The first stipend payment is issued in November and includes a lump sum payment for all months of the Fall term (July through October).
    For more information, see Tuition, Required Fees, Other Reasonable Costs and Stipend.
  6. Is the entire Nursing Scholarship taxable?
    All Nursing Scholarship Program payments made to and on behalf of the participant (tuition, fees, other reasonable costs, and stipend) are considered taxable income.
    For more information, see Tuition, Required Fees, Other Reasonable Costs and Stipend.
  7. If I am selected to receive a Nursing Scholarship, when will I receive tuition payment?
    Payment of tuition and fees are made directly to the school on the participant’s behalf.
    The Notice of Award Letter issued by the NSP to the participant serves as authorization to the school to bill the Nursing Scholarship Program directly for tuition and required fees.
    It is the participant’s responsibility to take the Notice of Award Letter to appropriate school officials.  It takes approximately 6 weeks from date of receipt of the invoice by the Nursing Scholarship Program for the school to receive payment. For more information, see Tuition, Required Fees, Other Reasonable Costs and Stipend.
  8. If I am selected to receive a Nursing Scholarship, will the program cover tuition and fees if my program started prior to July 1, 2012?
    Yes, the Nursing Scholarship Program will pay tuition and required fees for summer sessions when (1) summer school is an academic term normally required by the school for all students in the same program and (2) the summer session is in progress during the participant’s contract period. For more information, see Tuition, Required Fees, Other Reasonable Costs and Stipend.
  9. How are Nursing Scholarship stipend and other reasonable cost payments issued?
    Nursing Scholarship stipend and other reasonable cost payments are transferred electronically to each participant’s financial institution through direct deposit. Direct deposit is mandatory. For more information, see Tuition, Required Fees, Other Reasonable Costs and Stipend.
  10. What happens if tuition has been paid by another source of financial aid before the participant receives notice of the Nursing Scholarship?
    Tuition and fees are paid directly to the educational institution that the scholarship participant is attending.
    If tuition and fees for the initial Summer and/or Fall term of the academic year have been paid by another scholarship or a grant (e.g. Pell Grant, state grants or other scholarships), pending notice of an NSP award, the school may return payments to the source of funding and then submit an invoice to the NSP for payment.
    If a scholarship participant has taken out a student loan to cover the cost of tuition and fees for their summer and/or fall semester(s) while waiting for notice of an NSP award, the student should supply an itemized invoice to the NSP showing the amount of tuition and fees paid for with the student loan. The NSP will then pay that amount to the academic institution. For more information, see Tuition, Required Fees, Other Reasonable Costs and Stipend.
  11. Does the Nursing Scholarship cover additional books or materials a participant is required to purchase during the school year?
    During the fall of the school year, the Nursing Scholarship Program makes a single "other reasonable cost" payment to the participant. This payment is to assist with covering "other reasonable cost" expenses for books, clinical supplies/instruments, and uniforms during that school year.  If additional expenses for books and other materials arise, those expenses are not covered by the Nursing Scholarship Program.  The participant is responsible for paying those expenses.
  12. Is health insurance coverage included in the fees paid for by the Nursing Scholarship Program?
    If health insurance is required and purchase through the school is mandatory, the cost is included in the fees paid by the Nursing Scholarship Program to the school.  Insurance for family members is not covered. If the required insurance is purchased through any other source, then the school will not be allowed to submit the costs for the insurance fee.  
  13. Can the rules change after an individual selected to receive the Nursing Scholarship has accepted the scholarship?
    NSP participants may be subject to changes in the statute, regulations, and/or policies of the Nursing Scholarship Program that occur after they have received their awards.
  14. What happens if a Nursing Scholarship Program participant takes a leave of absence and/or repeats course work while attending the nursing program?
    The Nursing Scholarship Program will discontinue the payment of all benefits during a leave of absence approved by the school (for personal, medical or other reasons).  If the participant is repeating course work for which the NSP has already paid, the NSP will not pay for that repeated course work but will maintain payments for stipends and all other non-repeated course work provided that the participant continues to meet the NSP requirements. For more information, see Changes in Scholarship Payment.
  15. What happens if the Nursing Scholarship Program runs out of money or is discontinued?
    When a scholarship is awarded, funds are obligated (set aside) for the number of school years of support requested by the participant and agreed to by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as indicated by the signed contract(s).  
    If the participant did not sign contracts through the date of graduation, he/she will be given priority for continued funding when the existing scholarship support ends.  Continuation funding will be subject to the availability of future funding and the continued existence of the NSP. For more information, see Understanding the Contract and Length of the Service Commitment.
  16. When can an NSP participant start applying for positions to fulfill the service commitment?
    Participants have up to six months from the date of graduation to obtain a nursing license and accept an offer of employment from an NSP-approved Critical Shortage Facility.
    Participants have up to three months following the day of their acceptance of such a job offer to commence full-time (or, if approved, part-time) work providing clinical services at the Critical Shortage Facility.
  17. Who pays the salary of an NSP participant fulfilling the service commitment?
    The health care facility that employs the NSP participant pays the participant’s salary. Each NSP participant negotiates his/her own salary and benefits packages with the critical shortage facility where he/she is employed after graduation.  There is no "typical" salary. Salaries vary by employing facility and location.
  18. What is the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and what if mine needs to be updated?
    The EFC (Expected Family Contribution) is part of the Student Aid Report (SAR) that you receive when you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The EFC measures a student's expected family contribution in terms of the ability to pay for educational costs. It is used to determine eligibility for Federal student aid. The Nursing Scholarship Program has a funding preference for applicants of greatest financial need, defined as qualified applicants with an EFC between $0 and $5,550.
    The Nursing Scholarship Program uses the EFC listed on the Student Aid Report. If your EFC has changed due to special circumstances, the Student Aid Report must be corrected. Call 1-800-433-3243 to speak with the Federal Student Aid Information Center about your situation and obtain help updating your FAFSA. If your EFC changes before the NSP application cycle closes, you must notify the NSP. The NSP will reconsider your application based on this change.
  19. What does the Nursing Scholarship Program mean when it says participants must make "at least a two-year service commitment”?
    Individuals who receive the Nursing Scholarship are required to serve, at a minimum, a two-year full-time service obligation (or its part-time equivalent). NSP participants who receive less than 2 years of scholarship support will still owe the equivalent of 2 years of full-time service. The service obligation is extended by one year for each full-time year of Nursing Scholarship support received beyond two years. For more information, see Understanding the Contract and Length of the Service Commitment.
    The Nursing Scholarship Program hopes that participants will remain at their service sites and continue serving those in need even after the service commitment is fulfilled. Participants who have satisfactorily completed their service commitment and are working at eligible public or nonprofit private facilities may apply to the Nursing Education Loan Repayment program to obtain funds to repay a portion of the outstanding balance on qualifying education loans.
  20. What are the computer requirements for the online portion of the Nursing Scholarship Program application?
    The NSP recommends the following browsers when completing the online application: Internet Explorer 8, Firefox, Chrome 6 or Safari 5.
  21. Are students accepted for enrollment or enrolled in bridge/dual degree programs eligible for the Nursing Scholarship Program?
    Students enrolled in an RN to BSN bridge program are eligible for the NSP. Students enrolled in any other bridge program or dual degree program are not eligible to apply to the NSP. This includes any combined associates/bachelors program or combined bachelors/masters program.
    For complete eligibility information, see Eligibility Requirements.
  22. Where do I send my Nursing Scholarship Program supporting documentation?
    Please upload your NSP supporting documents to the NSP Program portal
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload all supporting documents in PDF format to expedite processing of their application. Materials must be received by the application deadline, 5 pm ET, May 8, 2011.
  23. How may I check the status of my Nursing Scholarship Application?
    Applicants will receive a receipt of submission notice once the application has been successfully submitted online. Status and confirmation of receipt will be provided for uploaded documents. Individuals selected for awards will be notified by e-mail no later than August 31, 2012. Individuals not selected for an NSP award will be notified by e-mail no later than September 30, 2012.
  24. Can a Nursing Scholarship Program participant transfer schools and still receive NSP support?
    Transferring to another school or changing programs is strongly discouraged once the applicant has been accepted into the NSP. Transferring to another school or changing programs will be considered only for exceptional circumstances and must be approved in advance to ensure continued eligibility for funding.
  25. Can I make changes to my banking information after it has been submitted?
    No, only the HRSA staff can enter any relevant changes to the online banking information once it has been submitted and a "Receipt of Submission" is received by the applicant. However, applicants can request a change to their banking information by completing the Banking Update Form, and faxing the completed form to the appropriate program staff to 1-855-444-6032.
    Please note: Only those applicants being awarded NSP scholarships will be requested to submit banking information.
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