Government and Federal Nursing Scholarships

The federal nursing scholarship program aims to provide scholarships to students and in return for a minimum 2 year fulltime service or part time equivalent at a health care facility thats eligible which of course has a shortage of nurses.

The scholarships are very competitive and will include everything from tuition payment and other reasonable costs that come with the federal nursing scholarship program.

Should you get the scholarship – you will be required to serve your commitment in the following places

• The united states
• District of Columbia
• Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
• Territory of Guam
• Commonwealth of Northern Marianas
• Us Virgin Islands
• Territory of American Samoa
• Republic of Palau
• Republic of Marshall Islands
• Federal states of Micronesia.

What is the Federal Nursing Scholarship Program

How to apply for the federal nursing scholarship program

Understanding the federal nursing scholarship supporting documentation

What causes Changes in Nursing Scholarship stipend payments

What happens if you breach the Federal Nursing Scholarship contract

What happens after graduating from the Nursing Scholarship Program

Breakdown of what your Nursing Scholarship and monthly stipend covers

Understanding what to do with Addational funding from the NSP

Understanding Supporting Documentation Further.

Authorization to release information Form – This will authorize the department of health and human services and its or contractors to release information that will identify you the participant for the purpose of co ordinating financial aid at nursing schools and also help in assisting whether the student is already in or out of the exclude parties list system. It will also serve the purpose of making sure should the DHHS need your information in the future – they can access it.

Documentation of Citizen ships Status. – You either have to be a citizen or a lawful permanent resident; meaning that you have a green card or the equivalent.

Verification of Acceptance or a Good standing Report. – This will be used to verify your enrollment status for the 2011 – 2012 academic year and expected graduation, grade point average and schools name and all the included details.

Completed Recommendation Letter – You must obtain a recomendation letter from Department Chair, faculty advisor or a faculty member from the current academic nursing program if you havent already began the nursing program.

The letter must contain the first, last name and last 4 digits of the social security number and its required that the writer of the letter discuss their relationship to the participant/student / applicant.

Non Academic recomendation Letter – Maybe from an organization with a description of your relationship to the participant or student in that matter explaining the awardees to be’s involvement with the greater good of society. The letter should include the first name, last name and last four of the social security no.

Completed Essay Questions

You must provide typed responses to three essay questions as listed below and must be within 2500 and at one page per essay.

1: How will you contribute to the mission of the Nursing Scholarship Program in providing care to underserved communities?
2: What experiences have you had or activities have you participated in that have prepared you to work with underserved populations?
3: Please discuss your commitment to pursue a career in nursing.

Unofficial Transcripts that are needed.

This basically includes your unofficial transcript from your current school and if youre not attending school from the school that you last attended.

Understanding the Application Status.

2011 – 2012 application deadline was in June 1 2011.
A receipt of submission notice will be received for the applicant one successfully submitted online. Due to high volume allow upto 30 days so at to be provided with status and confirmation for faxed documents.

The process takes from 3 to 4 months and applicants will be notified by email and the NSP applicants can either choose to accept or deny the award.
Participants will be then required to sign, complete the online direct deposit bank information and a fully completed W – 4 form
The awards are subject to available funds and the notice will be provided by august 31 2011. Those not selected by september 30 2011.

There volume of application is insane to please you are strongly encouraged to upload all supporting documents to expedite the application processing.

All the best with your education and becoming a nurse with the help of the federal Government.

Please double check and read the Application program guidance in its entirety before proceeding with an online application. With all the information that has been provided on the consequences of breaking your contract – make sure you have considered all your options before proceeding.
You will have an obligation of serving 2 years at a critical shortage facility and there will be consequences of failing to perform that obligation and responsibility.
Make it a point of keeping the copy of your application for all your records – this should include any correspondence through email, text or any other type of social media thats involved.

Application Deadline for 2011

Your application must be submitted by 5 pm et on june 2011 and all supporting documents that are needed must be uploaded by june 1 2011; this helps in expediting the review process.

What does a federal nursing scholarship program include.

• A completed NSP application program.
• A completed process of uploading or faxing all supporting documentation.
• Upload or fax of the official letterhead front the entity on which the applicants existing service obligation is owed and that the NSP commitment will be served first.

You will also need the following supporting Documents.

Completed authorization to release the following information.

• Proof of u.s citizenship, US national or lawful Permanent Resident (which includes copy of birth certificate, certificate of citizenship, Passport or naturization certificate.)
• A completed verification of acceptance or a good standing report.
• Copy of student aid report.
• Completed academic recomendation letter from previous education establishment.
• Completed Non Academic related recomendation Letter.
• A fully completed Essay questions and a copy of your unnofficial transcript.

For a smoother application process, applicants are advised to scan and upload all supporting documents instead of faxing them so as to expedit the process. Try to do only one process so as not to delay your processing of your federal nursing scholarships application.

It is your responsibility as a student/ participant to submit a completed application package that will be reviewd to determine the completeness of everything thats needed and as specified. Of course its imperative that your information on your application matches the documents provided. Innacurate information hurts your scholarship ranking and can lead to you not being considered for funding.

What does the breach of the NSP program Entail.

Under certain conditions a participant in the NSP scholarship program is considered to have breached his/her contract.

• If you fail to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing in the nursing program that the government is paying for.
• If a student gets disciplinary dismissal from the nursing program that he/she is participating in.
• If the student voluntarily terminates his nursing program.
• After graduation the participant fails to provide health services in a NSP service site of course the nsp is willing and able to be flexible if circumstances do occur and you want to move to another facility. Please make sure that you let the nsp program know exactly whats going on before walking away and breaching the contract.

What happens if the contract is Breached.

Automatically – the participant will be liable to the federal government to repay all funds paid to the student and interest on the amount paid which is based on the maximum legal prevailing rate fromt he date the default begins.
This amount must be paid within 3 years of the partcipants default.

What happens if the debt incurred is not paid

If the defaulting participant does not pay within 3 years – this results in a default which results in the following happening.

• Debt is reported to credit reporting agencies. During the 3 year repayment period; the debt is reported as current and if the debt becomes past due, the debt is reported as being delinquent.
• Debt will be referred to a collection agency and the department of justice. If the NSP debt becomes overdue by 45 days then its referred to a collection agency. If the debt collection agency fails to collect the debt then it may be referred to the U.s department of justice for enforced collection.
• An administrative offset can be enforced. What does this mean. Simply this – Federal/ state payments due to the participants may be offset by the u.s Treasury to repay the deliquent NSP debt. i.e income tax refund. Also recovery through Administrative wage Garnishment which may be enforced.

Deliquent defaulters may be excluded from participation in Medicare/ Medicaid and other Federal Health care programs. Its a pretty big deal when the government has paid all your school fees and you try to walk away so be careful with your choice. do your best to serve the 2 years and then walk away and do whatever you want after your service is complete.
The time you get from having your school paid for has no equal.

How do you obtain a waiver from your obligation from the NSP program.

Life happens and always remember we are all human. In some dire circumstances requests and waivers are necessary and they are processed and reviewed by the office of legal and compliance .

1. Suspensions are granted if compliance with service is temporarily impossible (say maybe an accident and you are hurt and cant walk) or would temporarily involve extreme hardship that enforcement of obligation would not be normal.
2. Waiver can be granted if compliance is impossible of course permanently, or would cause extreme hardship and would go completely against good conscience to enforce.
3. Should the information about the patient come up with the participant suffering from physical or mental disability and the commitment cannot be performed then the waiver will be granted.

In this particular case – What is considered.

The participants present financial resources and obligation.
The graduate/ participants estimated future financial resources and obligations.
Extent of graduates/ participants physical or mental disability or terminal illness which can include the immediate family – this will be based on everything intruding on the present, future ability to perform and obligation will be incurred.

If you are seeking a waiver or suspension submit your request to the following adress.

ATTN: Division of Program Operations
Nursing Scholarship Program
Fax: 1-855-444-6032

Please include all the information included and of course constant communication is encouraged.

More information can be found here.

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