graduate loan forgiveness programs

[emt-b]

Are there any hospitals or places that will pay off a percentage of your graduate program if you commit to work for them? I'm looking to obtain a MSN and certify as a FNP.

[Saysfaa]

There used to be a lot of them before the economy tanked and so many inactive or part time nurses went back to work (or to full time). Now... not so much if at all.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Discuss this with advisors for the MSN program you are interested in. Make sure that you obviously meet all of their qualifications for admission. It may help if you have your GRE scores handy also - to show them that you are serious. There has been Federal legislation that allocates funding for graduate nursing education, but it is only available through schools. You may want to assure them that you are willing to teach - it may improve your eligibility.

Very few private employers have specific funding earmarked for graduate education. It is usually limited to whatever tuition reimbursement program they have.... and this is usually only enough to pay for a fraction of the cost.

Good luck!

[UVA Grad Nursing]

This was more common a decade or so ago. Employers used to offer all sorts of perks to get RNs to work for them (signon bonuses, free childcare, free relocation, loan payoff, etc). Nowadays few employers need to offer anything to recruit nurses for positions -- especially popular tracks. Some continue to offer signon bonuses for hard-to-fill areas (several hospitals near me will do this for First Assist/OR nurses, bariatric specialists, and neuro ICU nurses) but not for med-surg, general ICU or new graduate positions.

Many employers also cut down on the employee tuition benefits in the times when budgets became tighter. Several hospitals in my state will not offer any support for FNP degrees since this means that the nurse will be leaving the in-patient units.

Right now the federal government is offering loan cancellation for those who will become fulltime faculty (the Nurse Faculty Loan Program) or who will become primary care providers (FNP, PMHNP or CNM) in Health Professional Shortage Areas (generally designated rural counties). If you are open to relocation to another state, definitely look at the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (sort of a Peace Corps to work as a nurse in a under-priviledged part of the US).