NELRP 2009

[oneLcrna]

I applied for the 2009 NELRP. I did not expect to hear from HRSA until September (IF I received an award). However, I was contacted by HRSA yesterday (June 15, 2009). They asked me to obtain pay off information for a few of my loans --- they had been unsuccessful with getting the info for those loans on their own, but did get the pay off amounts on other loans.

I asked the HRSA representative if this was a "good sign" and she responded that she could not confirm funding, but I am a "first funding preference" and "within range" (I think most who apply are "within range").

Questions: Has anyone else heard from HRSA this early?

Thanks!

Michele

[rn1233]

For those who received the email to fax the contracts, just curious...what were you student loan debt to income ratios and what type of hospital/employment?

[kt6onc]

i work at a DSH in New England, and my ratio is about 160%

[traumaNP]

So I got a phone call today from the NELRP people saying that they had emailed me the contracts last week-- turns out they had the wrong email address for me! I have no idea how that happened, but if you haven't gotten an email you may get a phone call!

I work in MA at a DSH, my ratio is 186%, I have 139,000 dollars in debt.

Best of luck to you all!

[hataway94]

Working at a DSH in Fort Worth, Texas. Ratio is about 167%

[hataway94]

someone please tell me i read today's article wrong! i thought obama gave more money to nelrp. read this article and let me know what you think. this was dated 8/12 and on the hhs.gov website. please post what you think.

hhs announces $13.4 million in financial assistance to support nurses

hhs deputy secretary bill corr today announced the release of $13.4 million for loan repayments to nurses who agree to practice in facilities with critical shortages and for schools of nursing to provide loans to students who will become nurse faculty. the funds were made available by the american recovery and reinvestment act (arra), signed feb. 17, 2009, by president obama.

"the need for more nurses is great. over the next decade, nurse retirements and an aging u.s. population, among other factors, will create the need for hundreds of thousands of new nurses," deputy secretary corr said. "the awards from these two hrsa programs will help us meet projected demand for their services."

the awards come from two programs administered by hhs' health resources and services administration (hrsa): the nurse education loan repayment program and the nurse faculty loan program.

• funding announced today under the nurse education loan repayment program (nelrp) totals $8.1 million. those funds, awarded competitively, will help 100 registered nurses pay their nursing education debts. the program repays 60 percent of the loan balance of registered nurses in exchange for two years of service at facilities with a critical shortage of nurses. (for a list of facilities employing the first 100 nelrp award winners from arra funds, go to http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/nelrprecips.htm) participants may be eligible to work a third year and receive additional repayment assistance.
  

**doesn't it sound like only 100 nurses will get it this year? 8 million is a lot less than previous years. how can this be a good thing? i checked out the above website listing the 100 facilities that will get the award. our hospital isn't even listed!! i am so worried. i just looked it up and over 200 nurses got it last year.

what do ya'll think??

[rachel_51207]

Yeah. I am a little confused by the article...HOWEVER, my hospital is listed as one of the recipients in the list! I hope this is a good sign. Anyone else potentially in the list?!

[oneLcrna]

This is scaring the heck out of me.... One glimmer of hope: The website lists the FIRST 100 hospitals....which implies there will be more to come...

[gudiarani, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, NP]

If you read the article, it says in clear letters FIRST 100, so NO it's not only going to 100 nurses. And it looks like the $8.1 million is referring to just the first 100 as well.

*My hospital is on there!!!!! Crossing my fingers so tightly now.

[nursebreeze]

I think I am going to have a nervous breakdown waiting to find something out!

My hospital is listed and it has one awardee listed. When I was applying and went to get

my shortage letter from the Financial Officers assistant she said she only had one other nurse come to

her for one, so if it was truly only two of us then I have 50% chance of being that awardee.

Oh this is killing me!!!

[hataway94]

Ok, I just have to be patient. I am just so worried now. I thought it was a good sign to be contacted and to sign the contracts. I wonder if everyone got those same contracts. Surely, they would have only sent those to the ones trully in the running, but who knows. This 100 nurses does make me nervous. Last year, over 200 nurses got it and over 18 million was awarded. Surely, there is more money to come. The only hospital listed on the website in Ft. Worth, TX is "Tarrant County Hospital." There is not a hospital with that name here, so maybe they are referring to the DSH that we are at. Fingers crossed, Prayers sent, fingers crossed, Prayers sent!!!

[nursebreeze]

hataway, I never got the contracts to sign, just the loan payoff verification email. So they have not sent them to everyone. Heck I couldn't even get them to verify they recieved my fax, left multiple vm, emails and even a fax.

I am a basket case right now as well, but as you said prayers and fingers crossed!! it is out of our hands....hugs

[LucyLu33]

Hi All,

I have just discovered this blog and I am thrilled to have others in the same boat as I am! I currently have a debt ratio of >250% greater than my yearly income!!!! I have received all of the above: payoff amount in June, information verification in early July, and faxed the signed contracts end of July. I have taken all of these things as a "good" sign. A fellow co-worker of mine has less than half my debt and has been contacted exactly as I have been, only several weeks delayed. I am taking this as an "okay" sign and maybe we will both be receiving the award. Especially because of the repetitive acknowledgment of the Obama Act! THEN the press release announced my hospital as a recipient for only ONE nurse!!!! What do I think now?! I pay $1500/month for my loans and live at home with Mom and Grandma!