Nurse Faculty Loan Program FAQs
Purpose
Increase the number of qualified nursing faculty by providing funding to
accredited schools of nursing to offer loans to students in advanced education nursing degree programs who are committed to become nurse faculty
Eligibility
- Enrolled full-time or part-time in an advanced education nursing degree program – Leave of absence must be filed if you are not enrolled in a regularly scheduled semester (Fall/Spring). Failure to do so, will result in a separation from the program and immediate repayment obligation. This does not apply to summer sessions.
- In good academic standing (as determined by WSU criteria)
- A citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a foreign national having in his/her possession a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau
- Students are ineligible to receive a NFLP loan if a judgment lien has been entered against the debtor’s property for a debt to the United States.
- PhD students. DNP students: Only post-master’s DNP students are eligible for the NFLP.
- Master’s and eligible DNP students: Must have evidence of previous teaching.
- Priority is for students who have received prior funding.
Maximum Amount/How long
Dependent on funding available, you may borrow up to $35,500 for an academic year for no more than 5 years. If you have received the NFLP loan in the past, the total support cannot exceed 5 years.
Cancellation process
The NFLP loan can be cancelled up to 85% of the loan amount if the graduate becomes a full-time faculty for up to 4 consecutive years after graduation: 20% of principal and interest on the amount of the unpaid loan balance upon completion of each of the first, second, and third year of full-time faculty employment 25% of the principal and the interest on the amount of the unpaid loan balance upon completion of the fourth year of full-time faculty employment.
Time to secure a faculty position
NFLP borrowers are allowed up to 12 months to gain employment following graduation from their course of study. The allowance period goes beyond the grace period for repayment (9 months) and provides the borrowers additional time to meet their service obligation and receive loan cancellation.
Faculty defined
“Nurse Faculty” is defined as an academic educator (faculty) or a clinical educator/instructor role at an accredited school of nursing, or a clinical educator/preceptor role at an accredited health facility. For NFLP graduates, “Full-time” nurse faculty employment is designated by the lending institution (WSU). Full time employment status may include: being employed as a full-time faculty member in an accredited school of nursing, being employed as a part-time faculty member at an accredited school of nursing in combination with another part-time faculty position or a part-time clinical educator/preceptor position at an accredited health facility, affiliated with an accredited school of nursing that together equates to full-time employment.
Courses required
Nursing education courses required as a recipient of an NFLP loan at WSU College of Nursing are: N521, N523, and N585 for new and future applicants starting in 2021. Previous recipients prior to 2021 will follow their listed requirements. There may be an option for a practicum to fulfill those courses for those who have a nursing education certificate or have taken nursing education courses prior to your program. Make an appointment with the Program Director.
Payment of loans
NFLP loan shall be repayable in equal or graduated periodic installments (with the right of the borrower to accelerate repayment) over the 10-year period that begins 9 months after the individual ceases to pursue a course of study at a school of nursing. WSU oversees and monitors loans while a student. The actual loan will be dispersed to you as a student by a financial institution, which will collect payments according to the requirements. Loans from any NFLP student loan fund shall—beginning on the date that is 3 months after the individual ceases to pursue a course of study at a school of nursing—bear interest on the unpaid balance of the loan at the rate of 3 percent per annum.
**If the borrower does not complete the course of study that includes nursing education courses requirement or fails to obtain full time faculty employment within 12 months post-graduation, the loan shall bear interest on the unpaid balance of the loan at the prevailing market rate. In addition, if you withdraw from WSU College of Nursing and/or WSU Graduate School before completion of your graduate program or certificate, repayment will begin immediately at the market rate regardless of current faculty status.
The prevailing market rate is determined by the Treasury Department and is published quarterly in the Federal Register.
Deferment
Loans can be deferred up to a period of 3 years in these cases:
- Active duty performed by the borrower as a member of a uniformed service (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps), or
- Service as a volunteer under the Peace Corps Act,
- Periods (up to ten years) during which the borrower is pursuing a full-time or half-time course of study at a collegiate school of nursing leading to a graduate degree in nursing or is otherwise pursuing advanced professional training in Nursing (e.g. post-doctoral program/fellowship).
Post-Graduation Requirements
You must inform the WSU Bursar’s Office (Collection Manager ksinha@wsu.edu) about
- Employment Status: any changes in employment status which affect the cancellation determination such as:
- Leave During Employment (Paid or unpaid leave needs to be consistent with the lending institution’s (WSU’s) policy).
- Change in Employment (A reasonable period, as determined by WSU Financial Aid, to change from one place of employment to another may not constitute a break in employment).
- Termination of full-time Employment as faculty
- Other service obligations from other federal program for education support (must remain separate and distinct from the service obligation for NFLP loan cancellation).
- In the event of permanent/total disability or death (institution (WSU) may cancel all or any remaining payment of NFLP recipient in these situations).
You will be required to complete a survey shortly after graduation and 1 year following graduation. Please send any changes in email addresses/employment to WSU College of Nursing NFLP Project Director: angela.brittain@wsu.edu and state that you were a NFLP recipient.
