Minnesota Long Term Care Nurse Loan Forgiveness Guidelines
Current cycle: The Minnesota Health Care Loan Forgiveness program cycle is now CLOSED and will re–open again for new applications on November 1, 2021.
This program is offered to licensed practical or registered nurse students, who plan to practice in a licensed nursing home or intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities, or a hospital that owns/operates a licensed nursing home where a minimum of 50 percent of the hours worked is in a nursing home in Minnesota. A prospective participant must submit an application to ORHPC during the open application cycle as a practicing nurse or while completing a licensure preparing nurse program.
Applicants to the Nurse Loan Forgiveness program are not eligible if they have received any loan forgiveness funding from the Nursing Facility Employee Scholarship Program administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, as defined in Minnesota Statute 256B.431, Subdivision 36.
The Long Term Care Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program provides funds for repayment of Qualified Educational Loans. Qualified Educational Loans include government, commercial, and foundation loans for actual costs paid for tuition, reasonable education and living expenses related to the past graduate or undergraduate education of the Nurse. Credit card debt or loans from family members do not qualify. Parent PLUS loans do not qualify.
Loans in current or active default are NOT eligible for forgiveness in this program, even if considered in good standing with the collections agency. Previously defaulted loans that have since been completely rehabilitated and are not currently in active default status are eligible.
Selected participants shall provide direct patient care hours/client–centered services. Hours cannot be fulfilled meeting with providers, process improvement, policy development, supervising, or administering programs.
Participants are eligible to participate for two years of loan forgiveness, with the option to extend an additional two years during which they serve as a licensed practical or registered nurse in a nursing home; housing with services establishment; home care; or ICF/MR in Minnesota. The ORHPC will make an annual payment to the participant in the amount of $6,000, not to exceed $24,000 total for the maximum of four–years or the balance of the designated loan(s), whichever is less subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature for the loan forgiveness program.