Nurse Faculty Loan Program - The purpose of this grant application is to request additional funds for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) established for graduate nursing students in the School of Nursing and Public Health (SON/PH) at Moravian University (MU or University). The NFLP grant was first awarded to MU in 2012, funding five nurse educators’ graduate studies. Another award was made in 2020, which is funding 13 additional students. If continuation funding is provided, NFLP loans will be distributed to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) students from the Nurse Educator, Nurse Administrator, Clinical Nurse Leader, and Nurse Practitioner tracks as well as post-graduate certificates in each of these tracks. This request for grant renewal is for a federal capital contribution of $239,590 to support MU’s NFLP program. With MU’s match of $21,621 and the $21,289 of unused monies from 2020, there will be a sizeable amount of support for MU’s NFLP student borrowers in 2023-24 if this application is approved. The NFLP funds will fund graduate coursework for students who do not receive employer tuition assistance and/or who exceed an allowed benefit in an academic year and to provide seminars in teaching/preceptorship, resilience, unmet social needs, and health equity. MU SON/PH has given priority status to those applying for the NFLP loan who state their intention to practice in rural and/or underserved communities as nurse educators or nurse practitioners. Since the NFLP grant award in 2020 to MU, 24 new clinical placement sites have been developed, seven of which are in rural and/or medically underserved areas (MUAs). In 2023-24, in addition to operating the loan program and tracking the recipients, MU SON/PH seeks to grow the number of borrowers by 20% (three borrowers); increase the diversity (in either/or race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, language) and representation of underserved and/or rural communities (borrower’s home address is in a medically underserved area (MUA), is a medically underserved population (MUP), or address has a rural designation) among borrowers, each by 8%, and promote preceptorship and employment among borrowers in rural and/or underserved communities through a 10% increase in site development prospecting activities to institutions/employers in rural/underserved areas. Dr. Lori Hoffman and Dr. Mary DiGiulio, Project Director and co-Director, will continue working with MU financial aid and student account staff to successfully operate the loan program.
