Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
The UMass Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing has participated in the Nurse Faculty Loan Program since 2003 to help address the nursing faculty shortage in Massachusetts and throughout the United States. We operate a student loan program providing loans to students enrolled in advanced education nursing programs and studying to be nurse faculty with loan cancelation for those who work as faculty after graduation. The goal of the program is to increase the number and diversity of qualified faculty to teach nurses which we do by supporting their educational goals, decreasing financial barriers through loan cancellation, and by funding qualified PhD and APRN students. For the academic year 2024-2025 we hope to support 10 returning students who are current NFLP recipients as they continue their programs of study. We are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse student body to better meet the health care needs of the increasing diverse population in the United States. Funding underrepresented minorities is allowing us to contribute to transforming the workforce by targeting the need for more diversity among nursing faculty. We would like to fund an additional 4 doctoral students who express an interest in nursing education with a desire to pursue faculty positions including the precepting of APRN students, upon graduation. Specific objectives of our Nurse Faculty Loan Program are to: • Maintain an NFLP account and provide fiscal oversight in accordance with NFLP requirements. • Disburse loans to qualified students in our PhD and DNP Nurse Practitioner programs and post-master’s certificate NP programs who plan to serve as nurse faculty upon graduation. • Collaborate with the Financial Aid Office to operate the NFLP loan fund collecting on loans borrowed, managing cancellations and repayments, monitoring compliance, and providing programmatic and financial data to illustrate successful project implementation. • Provide up to 85% loan canc ellation of the original loan among upon completion of up to four years of post-graduation full-time nurse faculty employment. • Ensure that all participating students receive graduate coursework to develop their knowledge and skills as an educator. We have a designated Project Director who recruits students for the NFLP, approves education coursework, monitors educational achievements, and provides, as needed, guidance for obtaining nurse faculty positions after graduation. The Project Director works with the Financial Aid Office who administer the loans and operate the loan fund.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).