Nursing Education Loan Repayment (NELRP)

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

Has anyone taken the US dept of health and human services NELRP (Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program)?

If so, did you find it to be a good program?

Apparently the hospital I work at is a critical shortage facility. The NELRP will pay 60% of my student loans (approx 14,000) if I agree to work for the facility for 2 years.

I was planning on doing this anyway since Im going to go back to school.

If I agree to stay a 3rd year, they will pay another 25% of my original loan amount.

That would be a huge chunk of change that I dont have to pay back!

I'm really curious is anyone has taken it before, and has anything to say about it..

Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.

I don't know anyone personally who has done it but I do know that it is a very very competitive program. So just working at one of these facilities does not necessarily mean that you will be one of the few selected for this program. And after federal budget cuts, I am sure these programs will have some financial cuts as well.

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It sounds like a great deal but this is what I found on the website...

"Competition was very high this year. The Nursing Scholarship Program received 11,225 applications and made 172 awards."

Is the govt. kidding? This paltry # of awards is insane. Meghan, I hope you get the award, but 172 scholarships in the shortage we have today is nothing. There is probably almost as much chance of winning one of those drawings on Fastweb.com Having 1500 awards would make much more sense or even more or expanding the criteria so 10-15,000 nurses could get the awards would make even more sense.. Having good staff ratios and nursing care for allof the high acuity Medicare and Medicaid pts. would save our govt. thousands of $'s.Leave it to the US govt to turn a great idea to help nurses into something much less worthwhile. We seem to have plenty of $ to waste on multiple ceremonies, etc for every pseudo-dignitary known to mankind when they come to visit Dubya!!! ARGHHHHH

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

Lol..

I know its a chance to get it and very competitive..

But..

If I dont take the risk, and could have gotten it, I'd feel terrible.

Might as well try for it! All its going to cost me is a few dollars to mail it -and if for some reason I can get 14k out of it, then its worth it. And if I lost a few dollars mailing it, so be it.

On a side note, I started the application this AM - it took me 2 hours, and im still not done.

Its an online form, hardcopy form, all my loan info, bank account info, etc.

We shall see..

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I'm doing Florida's program. I figure that I've got the loans and I'm already working here, why not allow the state to help me pay them off. I think it's a great program.

Good for it.

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