NELRP 2014

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Has anyone started to apply for the Nurse Corps loan repayment program? I wanted to see if anyone is having trouble using the application at all?

I finished my application in late January. Crossing my fingers I completed the application correctly! My facility score is a 17 and my ratio is over 200%.

Anyone who applied last year have any tips?

Specializes in CVICU, CPCU, Cath Lab/IR.

What's the calculation to figure out ratio?

I think it's your total loan amount / salary (base rate without shift differentials, etc.).

I was wondering if anyone knows if your student loans were in deferment, due to pursuing a higher degree, would this have any bearing on getting approved for the repayment? I have had my application submitted since Jan. 18 and don't want any surprises.

I don't think whether you receive the award is based on whether you submit your application the day the cycle opens up or the day it closes. If you thoroughly read all of the information it states need is given based on your debt to income ratio and the HPSA Score. They start with the highest score and work their way down. All of the previous awards were given in the Tier 1 group because they ran out of money before they even made it to Tier 2. Almost 5,000 applied last year and a little over 500 hundred were awarded. It's a very difficult award to receive.

It's my understanding that as long as your loans aren't in default, you'll qualify to receive the loan repayment. I couldn't find anything to indicate otherwise in the application booklet or online.

My husband and I are trying to upload his loan documentation and we have run into a problem. He has about 10 separate federal loans from two different servicers (Nelnet and CFI) . On page 26 of the application guidance it clearly states to only submit the NSLDS loading page (National student loan database) ONCE as the disbursement report for all federal loans. We called HRSA and they said to upload the landing page for each loan under supporting documentation. We pointed out to him that the application guidance said not to upload multiple times and his response was " it's wrong". That would be redundant and the exact opposite of what the application guidance says. Has anyone else had this problem ...and what did you do? Should we submit it once under the very first federal loan we have? Please help!!

Specializes in CVICU, CPCU, Cath Lab/IR.

I submitted it under each, after calling. I figured too much is better than not enough.

It made no sense to me to see 12 of the same page, but I did it anyways.

Anyone can "qualify" for the loan repayment as long as their loans aren't in default, no matter if you work in a Tier 1 or a Tier 3. The problem is they only have a certain amount of money to award, therefore there's a limited number who actually end up receiving the award. Just because you or I qualify does not mean we will receive the loan repayment.

So I applied this year - and am still unclear after speaking with the hrsa help people - if the HPSA score plays ANY role past placing you in tier one. After reading that someone in the same tier will be awarded based on debt to salary ratio and not to the person with a higher HPSA score, but what if it comes down to people with the same debt to salary ratios - do they then look at HPSA scores within the same tier? I am at a DSH, debt to salary ratio of 147%, and my facilities HPSA score is 20. Not thinking I have a great chance.

I called the HRSA people after the application deadline to see if they had an estimate of how many total applications they received - and while they didn't know in total - they apparantly got 12,000 applications on the final day alone. HIghly improbable that they are all filled out properly - but yeah going to be a miracle to get it.

what tier are you in?

12,000 applications? I think last year there were less than half that many.

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