Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

 

The Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) seeks to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty nationwide by providing low interest loans for individuals studying to be nurse faculty and loan cancelation for those who then go on to work as faculty. A robust, geographically dispersed nurse faculty workforce is essential to producing the nursing workforce needed to meet US health care needs. Successful applicants establish and operate a student loan program including maintaining a fund, providing loans to students enrolled in advanced education nursing degree programs, and monitoring compliance with program requirements. In exchange for completion of up to four years of post-graduation full-time nurse faculty employment in an accredited school of nursing, graduates receive cancellation of up to 85 percent of the original student loan amount (plus interest thereon) as authorized by the program. NFLP also encourages Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to serve as full-time preceptors within an academic-practice partnership framework in an effort to expand clinical training opportunities for nursing students.

Active 93.264 Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services A - Formula Grants Fiscal Year 2018 In Academic Year 2017-2018, 80 schools received new NFLP awards. Awardees supported 2,172 nursing students pursuing graduate level degrees as nurse faculty. This outcome is slightly below the FY 2017 target of 2,200 students, primarily as a result of an increased focus on training doctoral students who are not as vast in number as master’s students. In addition, with increasing tuition costs across schools, fewer individual awards are being made. The majority of students (84 percent) who received loans during the academic year were pursuing doctoral-level nursing degrees (e.g., PhD, DNP, DNSc/DNS, or EdD). By the end of the Academic Year, 800 trainees graduated, 94 percent of whom intended to teach nursing
Fiscal Year 2020 In Academic Year 2019-2020, 45 schools received new NFLP awards. Awardees supported 2,270 nursing students pursuing graduate level degrees as nurse faculty. By the end of the Academic Year, 659 trainees graduated, 89 percent of whom intended to teach nursing.
Fiscal Year 2021 In Academic Year 2020-2021, awardees supported 2,763 nursing students pursuing graduate level degrees with the intent of serving as nurse faculty. Twenty-four percent of trainees were underrepresented minorities and 24 percent came from disadvantaged backgrounds. By the end of the Academic Year, the programs graduated 779 trainees, 92 percent of whom intended to teach nursing. One year after graduation, seventy-four percent of prior year graduates were teaching in faculty appointments. The NFLP program provided loans to 2,763 graduate-level nursing students, exceeding the FY 2020 target of 1,900 loans provided.
Fiscal Year 2022 In Academic Year 2021-2022, awardees supported 2,806 nursing students pursuing graduate level degrees with the intent of serving as nurse faculty. Twenty-six percent of trainees were underrepresented minorities, twenty four percent came from disadvantaged background and twenty two percent from rural background. By the end of the Academic Year, the program graduated 837 trainees, eighty seven percent of whom intended to teach nursing. One year after graduation, sixty five percent of prior year graduates were teaching in faculty appointments. The NFLP program provided loans to 2,806 graduate-level nursing students, exceeding the FY 2021 target of 2,300 loans provided. Sections 846A (42 U.S.C. 297n-1) and Section 847(f) (42 U.S.C. 297o(f)) of the Public Health Service Act. Eligible applicants are domestic accredited schools of nursing with advanced education nursing programs. Any school(s) of nursing affiliated with this application must be accredited at the time of application - and for the duration of the award - by a recognized body or bodies, or a state agency, approved by the Secretary of Education for nurse education accreditation. Eligible applicants must be located in the United States, Guam, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. Tribes and Tribal organizations may apply for these funds, if otherwise eligible. Individuals and foreign entities are not eligible under this NOFO. Cost sharing/matching is required for this program. Recipient institutions are required to deposit an institutional capital contribution (ICC) that is equal to not less than one-ninth of the Federal award amount, hereafter referred to as the Federal Capital Contribution (FCC). The ICC must be deposited at the time the FCC is received and deposited into the loan fund account. An eligible beneficiary receiving support from grant funds under the NFLP program must (1) be a citizen, non-citizen national of the United States, an individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States, or any other "qualified alien" under section 431(b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-193, as amended. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible to participate and cannot receive NFLP support. Students enrolled in post-master's nursing certificate programs and Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) programs are eligible for NFLP funding (2) be enrolled in an advanced degree program in nursing to become qualified nursing faculty; (3) not be in default on a federal debt; and (4) maintain good academic standing. Applicants should review the individual HRSA Notice of Funding Opportunity issued under this assistance listing for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted with an application package. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. HRSA requires all applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov. The NFLP Program is a formula-based grant program that does not undergo a formal Objective Review Process. All eligible, qualified applications are reviewed and assessed internally. Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Award. The NFLP Program is a formula-based grant program that does not undergo a formal Objective Review Process. All eligible, qualified applications are reviewed and assessed internally. Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Award. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 120 to 180 days. Approximately 120 - 180 days from receipt of application. Not applicable. Applications must be submitted annually. Applications will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility, and to determine if applicant schools meet minimum program requirements. All eligible applicants are considered in a formula for determining awards. Awards are distributed among eligible entities as formula-payment based awards according to data supplied in the application. The doctoral funding priority is implemented within the NFLP formula, by allocating a larger portion of the funds to support doctoral students. For continuation (renewal) applicants, the application review and award determination process will also consider (a) the amount of unused NFLP funds from previous awards; (b) the NFLP loans made by the institution over recent periods; (c) program performance outcome measures such as the NFLP loan default rate and number of graduates who obtain employment; and program compliance measures such as PMS draw down compliance and timely report submission. NFLP grantees must establish a distinct NFLP interest-bearing loan fund for the purpose of making NFLP loans to eligible students enrolled in advanced degree nursing programs who are committed to become qualified nurse faculty and for the costs associated with collection of these loans. Institutions may award a maximum loan amount of $40,000 per student for an academic year to support the cost of tuition, fees, books, and other reasonable education expenses (including student nurse educator development activities). NFLP funds may only be used for loan support, with the exception of covering the costs of collection of loaned principal and accrued interest and/or penalty, and the cost of student nurse educator development activities as reasonable expenses. Upon completion of the program and following graduation, an amount up to 85 percent of the loan (principal of and interest on) may be cancelled by the institution as follows: 20 percent upon completion of the first, second, and third years of full-time faculty employment in an accredited school of nursing; and 25 percent upon completion of the fourth year of full-time employment as faculty in an accredited school of nursing. Not applicable. In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. NFLP awardees report date of audit on the NFLP Annual Performance Report (APR) annually and is to be within the last 2 years of reporting date. Recipients are required to maintain grant accounting records for 3 years If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the award has been started before the expiration of the 3 year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3 year period, whichever is later. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. Cost sharing/matching is required for this program. Recipient institutions are required to deposit an institutional capital contribution (ICC) that is equal to not less than one-ninth of the FY 2023 Federal award amount, hereafter referred to as the Federal Capital Contribution (FCC). The ICC must be deposited at the time the FCC is received and deposited into the loan fund account. The funds appropriated for the NFLP are distributed among participating institutions as formula-based awards. Program data reported on the NFLP Program Specific Data Form and other program sources such as the annual performance reports are used to determine funding and administer the program.

This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. Additional Information: This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. This funding opportunity provides support for a one-year project period. Recipients must draw down the full NFLP award amount from the Payment Management System (PMS), the centralized web based payment system for HHS awards within sixty (60) days of receipt of the award and deposit the funds into an interest-bearing student loan fund established by the institution. Institutions must conduct all loan activity through the student fund. None/Not specified. Nawall Kertache, Project Officer
Division of Nursing and Public Health
Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW)
Rockville, MD 20857 US
NFLP@hrsa.gov
Phone: 3014430921 https://www.hrsa.gov 75-0350-0-1-550 (Formula Grants) FY 22$26,580,000.00; FY 23 est $26,500,000.00; FY 24 est $26,580,000.00; FY 21$26,540,000.00; FY 20$26,687,624.00; FY 19$11,922,689.00; FY 18$26,825,131.00; FY 17$24,715,373.00; FY 16$24,405,295.00; - FY 22: Range is $49,992 to $2,637,994; average is $332,250 FY 23: Range is $27,485 to $3,405,375; average is $301,136 FY 24:Range is $27,485 to $3,405,375; average is $301,136 All administrative and audit requirements and the cost principles that govern Federal monies associated with this activity will be subject to the Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200 as codified by HHS at 45 CFR 75. HRSA awards are also subject to the requirements of the HHS Grants Policy Statement (HHS GPS) that are applicable based on recipient type and purpose of award. The HHS GPS is available at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/hhsgrantspolicy.pdf. Not applicable.