Nurse Faculty Loan Program
The Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) is a low-interest Federal loan repayment program offered by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Schools of Nursing (SON) who offer MSN and doctoral degrees with specific Nurse Educator tracks can apply for the grant. Awards are distributed to qualified students in the form of low-interest loans. After the student graduates and begins working as full-time faculty, up to 85% of the NFLP loan may be completely forgiven.
Student Eligibility Guidelines
In order to borrow funds through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program a student must:
- Be U.S. citizen, national or lawful permanent resident. (A student who is in the United States on a student or visitor's visa is not eligible for a NFLP loan.)
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in all attempted courses.
- Intend to maintain continuous enrollment for two consecutive terms during the academic year (i.e. fall/spring, spring/summer).
- Enrolled at least half-time (at least 5 credits) in an eligible master's or doctoral program that offers an education component(s) to prepare qualified nurse faculty. (The School of Nursing is responsible to determine if you are enrolled in an eligible program of study.)
- Have a completed appropriate year Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
- Recipients must not have any judgment liens entered against him/her based on the default of a Federal debt, 28 U.S.C. 3201 (e). By applying for this loan, you are giving the University of Arkansas permission to check your records on the
Federal Student Aid's National Student Loan Data System.
- Have a commitment to assuming a full-time faculty position in a nursing program.
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Academic Eligibility Guidelines
To determine if you are meet the academic career/program/plan and coursework requirements necessary to be
eligible to participate in and receiving funding from the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, please contact
Dr. Jan Emory in the School of Nursing. Dr. Emory will have to complete Section II of the Nurse Faculty
Loan Application to certify their determination that you meet the nursing department criteria for "good standing"
and that you meet the academic career/program/plan and course requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Health Resource and Services Administration to participate in and receive funding from the Federal Nurse Faculty Loan Program.
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Applications
The School of Nursing in collaboration with the Treasurer's Office jointly administers the NFLP at the University of Arkansas. The application is available on the Treasurer's Office home page.
NFLP loans are made on a first-come-first-served basis for an academic year until funds are expended. Funds are limited and availability of funds varies from year-to-year.
This is not a need-based loan program.
Recipients are limited to five (5) years of support under the Program.
The NFLP Loan may not exceed $40,000 per year.
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Student Application Process (Part 1 Of 2)
In order to borrow funds through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program a student must:
- Complete a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Complete the
Nurse Faculty Loan Application.
- Have the School of Nursing complete Section II of the NFLP Application to certify that you meet the NFLP academic career/program requirements.
- Complete the
Private Education Loan Applicant Self-Certification
included in the NFLP Application.
- Review the Private Education Loan Application and Solicitation Disclosure detailing the sample loan terms for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program that is included in the NFLP Application. (Keep for your records)
- Return the NFLP Loan Application and the Federal Private Education Loan Application Self Certification (at the same time) to trealoan@uark.edu.
The NFLP Application will not be considered complete until all steps above are completed and the NFLP Loan Application and Federal Private Education Loan Application Self Certification are received in the Treasurer's Office.
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Treasurer's Office Application Process
- The Treasurer's Office and Financial Aid Office will review the completed applications in the order in which they are received to determine program and loan amount eligibility.
- Once the loan is approved, the Treasurer's Office will post the approved NFL as an offer on UAConnect (the student information system) and an email notification will be sent that your loan was approved and is pending your acceptance on UAConnect.
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Student Application Process (Part 2 Of 2)
- After receiving your approval email, you have thirty days to accept your loan on UAConnect. If you fail to accept the loan on UAConnect within the thirty day period, your loan will be canceled and may not be reinstated. After thirty days all accepted loans will be originated with our institutional loan servicer Educational Computer Systems, Inc. ECSI will contact approved loan recipients by email with instructions on how to complete the Nurse Faculty Loan Program Promissory Note, Rights and Responsibilities Worksheet and Truth in Lending (TILA) documents.
- Complete the Nursing Faculty Loan Program Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
- Complete the Nurse Faculty Loan Program Promissory Note.
- Complete Truth in Lending documents
Loan funds will be disbursed within 10 business days from the date that ECSI notifies the Treasurer's Office of the completion of all required documents.
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Graduation and Beyond
Borrowers should complete an "Exit Loan Counseling" session on the ECSI website during their final semester at the University of Arkansas.
The Treasurer's Office will administer all repayment activities for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program. We have contracted with Educational Computer Systems, Inc to bill and collect our Perkins Student Loans and NFLP Loans. ECSI has many resources that will assist not only us in the disbursement and collection of our loans, but will assist our borrowers with many features that alone we could not provide. Some of those features include:
- Electronic Promissory Notes (see sample)
- Electronic Entrance and Exit Interviews
- Account Inquiry on web
- Direct monthly payments from your checking account
- Additional payment options
- Advanced payments
- Access to Downloadable Forms such as deferment and forbearance
- Links to Federal government regulations web site
- On-line address changes
- ECSI will also handle the 2nd and 3rd mandatory disclosures outlining the financial terms of the loan that were mandated by the Higher Education Opportunity Act
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Interest Charges
Interest accrues on the NFLP loan at a rate of 3% per annum, beginning 3 months after the borrower ceases to be an enrolled in their Graduate Nursing program.
If the Borrower fails to complete the advanced nurse education program OR fails to serve as a nurse faculty member for a consecutive 4 year period, interest will be charged at the prevailing market rate.
The prevailing market rate is determined by the U.S. Treasury Department and is published quarterly in the Federal Register. The Rates are fixed. Refer to the
HHS, Office of Finance Web site
for more information.
Although we have yet to find the "perfect calculator" that borrowers could use to examine the differences that interest rates make in the overall cost of the loan, the one
here
works reasonably well.
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Deferment
Deferment options under the NFLP are limited:
- NFLP borrowers who are ordered to active duty as a member of a uniformed service of the United States (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps, Peace Corps, or the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps ) are eligible for deferment for up to 3 years. A borrower who voluntarily joins a uniformed service is NOT ELIGIBLE for deferment, nor is a borrower who is employed by one of the uniformed services in a civilian capability.
- NFLP borrowers who graduate and are employed, and decide to return to a graduate nursing education program to pursue a doctoral degree to further their preparation as nurse faculty may request deferment of payment for up to 3 years.
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Forbearance
A lending school may, based on its discretion, place a borrower's NFLP loan in forbearance when extraordinary circumstances such as poor health or hardships temporarily affect the borrower's ability to make scheduled loan payments. Interest on the loan continues to accrue but is not payable during this period.
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Repayment and Cancellation Provisions
The NFLP loan is repayable over 10 years. Repayment begins nine months after graduation from the advanced nursing program (or when a borrower ceases to be enrolled in the program, or terminates employment as full-time faculty at a school of nursing).
The NFLP is a direct loan program with cancellation provisions. Up to 85% of the loan may be cancelled if the student fulfills specific requirements.
The borrower may cancel:
- 20% of the principal and interest of the unpaid loan balance upon completion of each of the first, second, and third year of full-time employment as a nurse faculty member.
- 25% of the principal and interest of the unpaid loan balance upon completion of the fourth year of full-time employment as a nurse faculty member.
The borrower is responsible for requesting cancellation. NFLP borrowers are limited to a 12-month timeframe to establish employment as a full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing following graduation from the program. If employment verification is not submitted within the 12-month period, the borrower will NOT be eligible for the NFLP loan cancellation provision.
Borrowers who fail to become a full-time faculty member at an approved school of nursing by the end of the 9 month grace period will be required to pay back the loan at the prevailing market rate at that time.
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Default by the Borrower
This occurs when the recipient:
- fails to complete the advanced nurse education program;
- fails to meet the university's "satisfactory academic progress" guidelines;
- fails to become or maintain employment as a full-time faculty member at a school of nursing. "full-time" has the meaning used by the employing school of nursing for its faculty;
- fails to make payments as required by the NFLP borrower's Promissory Note and repayment agreements
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