Underserved areas and free tuition?

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Hi All,

Perhaps (and most likely) I am living in la-la land, but does anyone know of any programs that pay for nursing school if you commit to working in an underserved area? I know that there is a federal program that you can apply for if you are already in school, however, that's the sticky widget for me. I'm not currently in school and already have a B.S. degree, so I am just looking for an associate's program (or master's entry program) that will allow me to become an RN. I was thinking that perhaps there might be a program in West Virginia or another rural area. I'm on the west coast right now and at this point, I'm just looking for options. Any ideas?

Thanks!

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Hey

Actually the federal program you are talking about you can apply for before you start school or during school it is called the "Nursing Scholarship Program" which you can also apply to prior to school beginning and the deadline for this year is actually the end of this week but here is some info:

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/scholarship/default.htm and the loan repayment program is at:

http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/join_us/lrp.asp

You may also be able to look up some local hospitals in your area that will pay for your school if you work for them afterwards.

There is also another federal program if you want to get your MSN in a primary care field and it is called the National Health Service Corps. There are certain qualifications in order to get it though and it's pretty competitive. They also have a loan repayment program in which you work for them after you get your degree in an underserved area and you get a certain amount of your loans paid back. Here is the website if you are interested: http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/join_us/scholarships.asp

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I had heard that the hospital in Hemet Valley, California was paying the full nursing school tuition in return for 4 years of employment at the hospital. You get hired by the hospital, get priority admission into the nursing program at San Jacinto Community College and have to work for the hospital while going to school as well as the 4 years after school.

The kinds of organizations that will know about these kinds of programs are the state board of nursing, the state organization of nursing school educators and the state nursing associations. The Hemet program is something that the hospital and college put their heads together on to help solve their nursing shortage. If they are doing it, I'm willing to bet there are other schools and hospitals out there doing the same thing. I loved living in Hemet when I was there, but I'm not willing to concede that they are geniuses when it comes to creativity. You also need to ask yourself why places like this have nursing shortage problems in the first place that they need to go to such an extreme. Hemet is pretty isolated from Riverside and San Bernardino.

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Hello,

I am interested in loan repayment as well, but when I looked at the website it didn't list RNs as potential candidates...only physicians, mid-wives, those working in the dental profession...

Hi Prenault

Yeah - the original website I listed you could qualify for if you are a CNM or FNP. But also on that website is another link for nurses and here is a loan repayment program for RN's: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm

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Hi,

You can check with the State Boards as well.

I thought Rhode Island was offering an incentive to help

students a while ago, with a certain number of years to work in the state after.

Check with the Veterans Administration,they had programs as well

at one point..

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

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