rainbow1

PLEASE READ THIS and try to help me out here. As I explained, I joined this blog in an attempt to alleviate the incredible stress and anxiety I saw when I first scanned through these pages. I made it very clear that I was doing this on my own, without approval, and possibly putting my self at some risk. I got a voicemail from my boss this morning that he received a message from the Help Desk that "a NUMBER of calls received referenced some BLOG". I really need to nip this in the bud or I will have no choice but to cease all communications. Perhaps I could have been clearer, or not everyone has read all my posting - whatever at this point. You have every right to call the Help Desk - they do not have access to all of the details and are only allowed to relay specific information - none of which is current status. If I could have made ONE post referring you all to them I would have. Calling them and referring to this blog is not getting you anywhere with them, jeoparizing me and frankly making me considerably more cautious and concerned about what I have already shared and what I am now willing to share in the future. Please,please please do NOT refer to this blog in any communication with HRSA, my peers who will be handling your cases as things move forward, or others in your workplace that are not participating in this media. I have offered everyone the opportunity to PM me. I have always done what I could without crossing the line. If you can't PM me and don't want to make 15 random posts you need to just be patient and wait to hear.

Great advice for you all!!!!

I'm back, rested and smiling (off yesterday). AND I think I can address some of these issues without feeling exposed. Taxes - I am no expert, so you cannot hold me to specifics, but problems I have seen in the past are mostly not anticipating what this award does to your net income. For many of you this is a significant increase and can push you into a higher tax bracket. We do withhold taxes on the 60% awarded - but as a stand alone figure. Only you (and your accountant) can determine what the net increase in income does to your specific situation. Please note - you cannot use the money we provide to pay the higher taxes - it all must be applied to your loans. Loan Payments - You are required to spend the money we give you on your verified and approved student loans. With that said we don't care how or where you pay your loans. Many people pay their highest interest off first, others pay an equal portion to all, other pay towards the oldest loans, and still others pay proportionate to how much they owe. We don't care. What you will need to do, should you be asked, is provide a loan repayment summary showing that the money we sent was indeed posted towards your loans. And these repayment histories are pretty much just printing web pages from your lenders. Hope this helps!!

Question for all of those nurses smarter than me. OK - that is ALL of you! If someone shows as 'online' does this board have the capability to chat or IM in realtime? Thanks! And I am sorry, but I cannot even answer the above question publically. Let me just say it is required you respond to the email and return the required documents to move forward. Emails are targeted to those considered in 'fundable range', but include below what we can actually fund to to make sure we get all paperwork back and can finalize our lists. All emails went out 7/14 and 15 and again on 8/2 and 3. Clear as mud?

Gee the last time I heard 'best wake up call ever' it was not a silly letter. But I guess guys think differently! I will be around and checking in this weekend (as long as we have a roof and power), so hit me up if I can help. I am actually more comfortable woking some of these issues and questions from home. And if I don't respond - send a roofer!! Lastly - I am way behind on 8/29 start date letters. Bear with me, PM me and most of all - be reasonably prepared if I can't always have good news. Happy Weekend to All! Though I guess this doesn't necessarily ring true for many nurses!

The letter contains: a letter from 'The Boss' (who loves to hear about the positive things this program does for your lives and communities BTW), the executed contract, Your PAW (what, how much and the dreaded taxes withheld) and a 'Fact Sheet'. Nothing for you to do other than go to work, make a difference, and wait another month for your first deposit!! And another BTW - all of your comments on my value here are warmly recognized and appreciated - thank you for them, but it is all of you that do what you do and make life better for the sick and needy. Kudos belong with you, not me!!

I was cured for a very long time - but ten I went to Portland ME a couple of weeks ago and have been having serious flashbacks ever since. Good thing for all of you - I could have been a Repubican!! (ouch!)

Good Morning Everyone!! As you are all aware of the angst waiting for NELRP causes, I still have LOTS to do to close out this year so I am not going to address questions about 3rd year or really anything post award. Please be patient with me as I am already spending too much time on this board. Remember you have resources at your disposal: Help Desk - 800-221-9393 Web Site - http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/repayment/nursing/ Guidance Document - http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/repayment/nursing/continuationguidance.pdf And again, as I mentioned yesterday - only a portion of our awards have been mailed and it will be weeks before they all arrive. Be patient, and be supportive of each other! I'm doing what I can! Peace and Love!

All - please try to understand the position I am in. I want to help settle nerves and anxiety where and when I can, but I cannot disclose information that is irrelevent to this task (and in some cases, like addressing how many of those emailed get funded, would increase the anxiety of some). Sorry, but in addition to relevence, the government can be pretty picky on information leaks - real or perceived - and just because I opted to ask forgivness rather than permission by joining here and sharing, I would much rather not have to do either!! If you have specific questions regarding YOUR application AND are willing to take bad news as gracefully as good, PM me. If I can help I will. If I feel I would compromise myself, my organization or anyone else's privacy I will tell you. Fair enough?

CandaceRN - are you a Colorado or New Jersey nurse?

Mallz - I would be more comfortable taking this off line, but generically not many.

I meant to put a smiley face or LOL - I think it was very clever and love the party dancers!

Hope your a good nurse. I am afarid you would be a very hungry poet!!! Congratulations!

All - please keep in mind ONLY THE FIRST batches went out on Monday. There are many more to come, but I do not have a timeframe to offer. It literally can and probably will be several more weeks before all are notified. I know and appreciate how much this sucks, but there is absoluletly nothing I can do about it. I hate to see you all hanging on each mail delivery with BPs rising by the hour (and remember, tackling your mailman can be considered a federal offense!!lol) You could try to email or PM a new friend you made on the board! I bet if you are patient with him and willing to take bad as well as good news this could be useful.

Before logging off for a while I have a simple request - or at least something to think about. There were nearly 8000 applications received this year. Out of these we can fund very few. I love being here to help support and inform and it is a thrill to hear the excitment and relief when 'the letter' arrives. But please be compassionate and supportive of the many that are waiting and stressing and we were NOT able to help. Not sure how to even suggest how to enact this, but just be aware and compassionate. See you all later or tomorrow!! And I did reach 15 - I can email and PM.

In six more posts I think I can PM and email folks. I have recived a couple of PMs, but cannot even reply (the 15 post rule again?). I am happy to provide an update, but do not want anyone posting personal information in this public forum. I am pretty much in a lull between storms as our money is spent, so this is a good week for questions and queries.

And there are only TWO teams - Blue and Gold. I will actually recommend pink with red polka-dots for next cycle! I kinda like it! I am getting a better view of the 8/29 award letters and they may go out late (I can hear the groans from here). There really is a very complex, multi-step, multi-group effort involved in getting money out the door and accounted for properly. We have more rules than most companies (I just came here two years ago from the 'outside' world) and all steps must be taken and checked or we get into serious jeopardy for future funding. That plus ensuring ALL applications are reviewed and ranked BEFORE we can start awarding is another reason this seems to drag on. We cannot afford to make any awards out of ranking sequence and it would not be a fair practice. You will just have to believe me when I tell you we do not have much free time between February and September (and you would likely be surprised with how few of us there are). Hang in there please. I am pushing as hard as possible (I already think I have more friends on this blog than at work, but I have always had the customer advocacy gene).

Also - none of the awards go out by state. They go out by batch number and there is ZERO correllation to ANYTHING I can determine.

Pink Floyd - not that I can think of and it was not me! Beach Princess - I wish there was a way to map your handle to a name and I could either make a friend for life or at least put you out of your misery. Can you PM me your name?

And I keep proving I can't type or spell!!!

Kyrn1 - Sorry but I am not comfortable talking about percentages, thresholds, ratios, numbers, etc in this public forum. There are too many nuances to be accurate and too many opportunities for misintrepretation of data.

Depends on the question of course. But you just put me one popst closer to email/PM!!

It seems, if I am reading the blog rules correctly (never blogged before, my kids would be so proud!!) that I have to have 15 posting before I can email or PM. So I will post when and what I can. - to answer Beach Princess, tehre will bve no more emails. Award notifications are via USPS letters to the address we have on file (did I mention it is really important that you all keep your contact information up to date!!) It does seem like all of you can PM me - please feel free to do so. I hate that we cause so much stress, but if it was not for all of you I wouldn't have this job that I love so much. Don't be shy, we are down to the end of our cycle and timelines and you have all been left hanging long enough!

Now it is my turn - WOW! I am overwhelmed with the response and messages, but happy you have made me feel welcomed. I realize alot of what I want to share would have been more beneficial before you applied, but at least it will help you understand what can and does happen and why. I do a webinar at the beginning of the applicatuin season so I hope those that could not get funded this year will come see me next cycle. A couple of general points: First, I cannot answer any application specific questions in an open forum, but I am happy to cover rules and guidlines. If you want to ask about your specific situation please PM me and you will have to identify yourself (NO SSNs PLEASE!!!!). If you are not working in my little piece of the world I may not be able to provide all of the details, but I will do what I can. What can go wrong with submitted loans falls into many categories, but let me identify the top causes for making individual loans ineligible. Consolidations include loans NOTdirectly nursing related. We can pay for prerequisites, but not other degrees or majors. Any error on the Loan Verification Form - including leaving any question unanswered or illegible Lack of documentation. I don't care what the forms are called but we MUST see origination date; original amount; current amount (P&I); loan type - and they must all match what you put on the associated form All details (amounts, dates, etc..) MUST match to the penny/day what you entered online. Loans incurred in a timeframe NOT supported by a transcript. If you have a loan you want considered, be sure you have the school listed in the Education section and supply a trancript (unofficials are fine). What we look for in Credit Reports is ONLY Federal or State defaults, mortgage more than 180 days past due, student loan default, child support past due. Anything else, including bankruptcy, is not our concern or any of our business. It is VERY important that you keep your information current and accurate. There will be some awards not made because we could not get in touch with the applicant in a timely manner. Address, email and phone number(s) are all critical. You cannot tranfer jobs during the application evaluation period. Stay put, put up with your irritating boss and move the day AFTER your contract is begun. Sorry for 1) this response being too long, 2) my pathetic combination of typing and spelling 3) coming to the party late. Next year we are making lots of changes which we are hoping will make it easier to apply (all paperless), easier to get information/status, enhance our ability to communicate. Have a nice night I will be sure to check back in tomorrow as best I can.

All, I just found this blog by referral earlier today (just before we had an earthquake and our buidling shook!!! - must be an omen!! Our building was closed so I am chiming in from home just to try to settle, calm and set expectations). I am very distressed to see how many of you hardworking nurses are totally stressed over our inability to communicate more effectively - there are very few of us and over 8000 of you so please be patient and try to understand. I know this is a lifeline for many of you and your families. And please, I am here trying to help, so please don't take me to task if you were not among those we were able to fund or I cannot answer your questions quickly or to your satisfaction. I am doing this on my own and without asking for approval (and honestly not sure it is even a good door to be opening) so please don't get me fired!! So we just exhausted our funding last Friday and the first start date for this fiscal year was Monday 8/22. We are legislatively bound to hold the award letters and contracts until the first date of service (I am personally guilty of having erroneously told some of you they would be out earlier - I am very sorry for this as it increased everyone's expectation and stress!!) so the first batch of letters went out in the mail yesterday. There are many, many more with start dates in the future (8/29 being the next) and, again, the letters will go out on the day service starts and the contract becomes effective. Please remember if you are awarded - first payments are made ONE MONTH IN ARREAR - that means none of you will see a deposit until September at the earliest. Now that I know about this blog I will do what I can to monitor it and respond if appropriate. I joined because I could only recognized a very few RNs by their handles on this blog or I would have started making calls to the most stressed first, but short of that I will try to answer as many questions as possible. I have not figured out how to send private messages yet (this is my first and probably most important post) but if you know how to get to me please do. Be well, be patient and lots of 'deep cleansing breaths'. I fully understand how hard this is and how important this funding is to your lives. All the best!