Funding Sources for Nursing Education in Maryland
Cohen Scholars Program
- The Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) provides funding to participating Maryland institutions for Cohen Scholars to complete graduate degrees (MS, MSN, DNP, PhD, EdD) and core education coursework, including post-master's teaching certificates, necessary to prepare them for educator positions in one of Maryland's nursing degree programs or healthcare organizations. Scholarship recipients have a teaching obligation; for each academic year, or portion thereof, that funding is received, recipients must work one year as a full-time nurse faculty member/hospital educator/approved educational role in Maryland.
State Financial Aid Programs: Directory of grants, scholarships, and loan assistance repayment programs for eligible Maryland residents. Though this list has more options for funding undergraduate degrees, you may find some options to help support graduate education, like the one below.
- Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program: Funding available for those with demonstrated financial need
Several financial aid options are available to fund associate and baccalaureate degrees at Maryland community colleges and public universities. These options include need-based grants and career/occupation-based grants and scholarships. Read more at Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Financial Aid Resources page.
State Financial Aid Programs: List of all grants, scholarships, and loan assistance Repayment Programs for eligible Maryland residents
- Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program: Funding available for those enrolled in a 2 or 4 year university
- 2 + 2 Transfer Scholarship: Funding for those pursuing an ATB pathway, transferring from a community college to a 4-year institution within the state
- Tuition Reduction for Non-Resident Nursing Students: Allows non-Maryland residents to attend a two or four-year nursing program at a reduced rate in exchange for agreeing to serve as a full-time nurse in a Maryland hospital or related institution.
- Income Tax Credit for Preceptors in Areas with Health Care Workforce Shortages Programs: Authorizes a credit against the State income tax for individuals who served as an uncompensated preceptor in certain preceptorship programs in healthcare workforce shortage areas within the most recent tax year.
There are a number of federal programs most of which require that you agree to work at an eligible facility for a certain length of time (HRSA, June, 2018). The primary source is the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
- NURSE Corps Scholarship Program
- The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program “enables you to fulfill your passion to care for underserved people in some of the neediest communities across the country” (HRSA, June, 2018). The scholarship provides funding for tuition and eligible fees, with a minimum requirement of two years of service at an eligible Critical Shortage Facility.
- If you are a nursing student, nurse, or nursing faculty the NURSE Corps has a Loan Repayment Program; a Scholarship Program is available for nursing students in financial need.
- Nursing Grants Funded programs include:
- Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) supports advanced nursing education programs for registered nurses preparing to become primary care nurse practitioners, primary care clinical nurse specialists, and nurse midwives.
- Advanced Nursing Education Nursing Traineeship (AENT) funds traineeships for enrolled registered nurses to practice as primary care providers and/or nursing faculty.
- Advanced Nursing Education (ANE) supports advanced nursing education programs for registered nurses preparing to become nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse administrators as well as other specialties.
- There are programs that facilitate military veterans’ transition into professional nursing careers: Nurse Education Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR), and, a program aimed at increasing nursing education opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are underrepresented among registered nurses: Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD).
If you work in a healthcare agency as a nurse, you may find that the medical facility offers tuition reimbursement. This type of program allows you to take classes towards a degree, and your employer will pay you back for the classes you take.
The Maryland Loan Repayment Programs (MLRP) offer higher education loan repayment assistance to nurses and nursing support staff. These programs, funded by federal and state-level resources, offer educational loan repayment assistance in exchange for a service obligation at an eligible practice site. More information on eligibility.
The Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program is available for Maryland residents who provide public service to low income or underserved groups in Maryland. Applicants must have earned a degree from a college in Maryland and must be employed full-time in state or local government or in a nonprofit organization located in Maryland. Employers must help low income, underserved residents, or underserved areas in the state. Applicants must have educational loans from a university, government, or commercial source that were used to pay college expenses. Nurses and nursing faculty, except school nurses, are eligible to apply.
The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC) is a loan forgiveness option for advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, etc.), who work at least two years in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Perkins Loan Cancellation: A full-time nurse can be eligible to have 100% of their federal loans completely forgiven if they have five years of eligible services.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after making 120 monthly payments under a certain repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Nurses who are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization may be eligible.
Cohen Scholars Program
- The Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) provides funding to participating Maryland institutions for Cohen Scholars to complete graduate degrees (MS, MSN, DNP, PhD, EdD) and core education coursework, including post-master's teaching certificates, necessary to prepare them for educator positions in one of Maryland's nursing degree programs or healthcare organizations. Scholarship recipients have a teaching obligation; for each academic year, or portion thereof, that funding is received, recipients must work one year as a full-time nurse faculty member/hospital educator/approved educational role in Maryland.
State Financial Aid Programs: Directory of grants, scholarships, and loan assistance repayment programs for eligible Maryland residents. Though this list has more options for funding undergraduate degrees, you may find some options to help support graduate education, like the one below.
- Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program: Funding available for those with demonstrated financial need
Cohen Scholars Program
- The Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) provides funding to participating Maryland institutions for Cohen Scholars to complete graduate degrees (MS, MSN, DNP, PhD, EdD) and core education coursework, including post-master's teaching certificates, necessary to prepare them for educator positions in one of Maryland's nursing degree programs or healthcare organizations. Scholarship recipients have a teaching obligation; for each academic year, or portion thereof, that funding is received, recipients must work one year as a full-time nurse faculty member/hospital educator/approved educational role in Maryland.
State Financial Aid Programs: Directory of grants, scholarships, and loan assistance repayment programs for eligible Maryland residents. Though this list has more options for funding undergraduate degrees, you may find some options to help support graduate education, like the one below.
- Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program: Funding available for those with demonstrated financial need
Several financial aid options are available to fund associate and baccalaureate degrees at Maryland community colleges and public universities. These options include need-based grants and career/occupation-based grants and scholarships. Read more at Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Financial Aid Resources page.
State Financial Aid Programs: List of all grants, scholarships, and loan assistance Repayment Programs for eligible Maryland residents
- Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program: Funding available for those enrolled in a 2 or 4 year university
- 2 + 2 Transfer Scholarship: Funding for those pursuing an ATB pathway, transferring from a community college to a 4-year institution within the state
- Tuition Reduction for Non-Resident Nursing Students: Allows non-Maryland residents to attend a two or four-year nursing program at a reduced rate in exchange for agreeing to serve as a full-time nurse in a Maryland hospital or related institution.
- Income Tax Credit for Preceptors in Areas with Health Care Workforce Shortages Programs: Authorizes a credit against the State income tax for individuals who served as an uncompensated preceptor in certain preceptorship programs in healthcare workforce shortage areas within the most recent tax year.
There are a number of federal programs most of which require that you agree to work at an eligible facility for a certain length of time (HRSA, June, 2018). The primary source is the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
- NURSE Corps Scholarship Program
- The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program “enables you to fulfill your passion to care for underserved people in some of the neediest communities across the country” (HRSA, June, 2018). The scholarship provides funding for tuition and eligible fees, with a minimum requirement of two years of service at an eligible Critical Shortage Facility.
- If you are a nursing student, nurse, or nursing faculty the NURSE Corps has a Loan Repayment Program; a Scholarship Program is available for nursing students in financial need.
- Nursing Grants Funded programs include:
- Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) supports advanced nursing education programs for registered nurses preparing to become primary care nurse practitioners, primary care clinical nurse specialists, and nurse midwives.
- Advanced Nursing Education Nursing Traineeship (AENT) funds traineeships for enrolled registered nurses to practice as primary care providers and/or nursing faculty.
- Advanced Nursing Education (ANE) supports advanced nursing education programs for registered nurses preparing to become nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse administrators as well as other specialties.
- There are programs that facilitate military veterans’ transition into professional nursing careers: Nurse Education Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR), and, a program aimed at increasing nursing education opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are underrepresented among registered nurses: Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD).
If you work in a healthcare agency as a nurse, you may find that the medical facility offers tuition reimbursement. This type of program allows you to take classes towards a degree, and your employer will pay you back for the classes you take.
The Maryland Loan Repayment Programs (MLRP) offer higher education loan repayment assistance to nurses and nursing support staff. These programs, funded by federal and state-level resources, offer educational loan repayment assistance in exchange for a service obligation at an eligible practice site. More information on eligibility.
The Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program is available for Maryland residents who provide public service to low income or underserved groups in Maryland. Applicants must have earned a degree from a college in Maryland and must be employed full-time in state or local government or in a nonprofit organization located in Maryland. Employers must help low income, underserved residents, or underserved areas in the state. Applicants must have educational loans from a university, government, or commercial source that were used to pay college expenses. Nurses and nursing faculty, except school nurses, are eligible to apply.
The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC) is a loan forgiveness option for advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, etc.), who work at least two years in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Perkins Loan Cancellation: A full-time nurse can be eligible to have 100% of their federal loans completely forgiven if they have five years of eligible services.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after making 120 monthly payments under a certain repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Nurses who are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization may be eligible.