2013 – 2014 Application

U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesHealth Resources and Services AdministrationBureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service

Division of Nursing and Public Health

NURSE Corps Scholarship ProgramNCSP

NCSP Purpose (with HPSA Specification)

Legislative Authority:Section 846 (d) of the Public Health Service Act, as

amended 942 USC 297 n (d)

PurposeThe purpose of the NURSE Corps Scholarship

Program (NCSP) is to provide scholarships to nursing students

inexchange for a minimum 2 year full-time service

commitment to work at an eligible Critical Shortage Facility (CSF)

located in a primary care or mental health, Health

Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).

Scholarship

NCSP provides tuition and required fees, along with an additional one-time per contract year, annual payment for other reasonable costs associated with the nursing program

Stipend

NCSP recipients receive a monthly stipend

Service

NCSP provides nurses with an opportunity to increase access to care by working a minimum of two years with underserved populations in an eligible Critical Shortage Facility (CSF) located in a federally designated primary or mental health Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)

NCSP Benefits

To be eligible for a scholarship, by the application due date, all NCSP applicants must be:

A U.S. citizen (either U.S. born or naturalized) or U.S. National; and Lawful Permanent Resident

Enrolled or accepted as a full or part time student in one of the following accredited nursing degree programs:

• Associate Degree of School of Nursing• Collegiate School of Nursing• Diploma School of Nursing• RN-BSN, RN-NP, non-nursing bachelor’s to NP Bridge Program

Attend a nursing school or program located in a State or U.S. Territory

Start the nursing degree program on or before September 30, 2013

NCSP Eligibility

You are ineligible if you:

Have any judgment liens against your property arising from a debt owed to the United States;

Have a breach of a prior service obligation;

Have judgment lien(s) arising from Federal debt;

Have an existing service obligation;

Are excluded, debarred, suspended, or disqualified by a Federal Agency;

Enrolled in a LPN program, self-paced study programs (on-line), bridge programs that are not RN to BSN, RN-NP, or non-bachelors’ nursing – NP, dual degree programs

NCSP Ineligibility

Have a history of not honoring prior legal obligations, as evidenced by one or more of the following factors:

• Defaulted on a prior service obligation to the Federal government, a State or local government, or other entity;

• Defaulted on any Federal payment obligations or non-Federal payment obligations; or

• Write off of any Federal or non-Federal debt as uncollectible.

NCSP Ineligibility (cont’d)

Funding is based on several factors:

Availability of funds

Selection factors

Funding preferences

Scholarship Selection

Scholarship Selection Factors Financial need

Qualified applicants with the greatest financial need (i.e., applicants with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) between $0 and $5,550)*

Academic performanceQualified applicants who demonstrate the ability to excel and maintain an acceptable level of academic standing in school

Essay questionsQualified applicants who demonstrate a thorough commitment to a career in nursing; interest/motivation in providing care to underserved communities; and relevant work experience and/or activities

Academic and Personal Recommendation/Evaluation letters

Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Resume

*Please note: Applicants with an EFC greater than $5,550 are still ELIGIBLE, however, they do not receive funding preference and would only receive funding after applicants from the preference groups are funded.

Scholarship Funding Preferences There is a funding preference for applicants with the greatest financial need. The financial need is based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 - $5,550, which is provided on the applicant’s Student Aid Report (SAR).

First Funding Preference - Qualified applicants who have an EFC of $0-$5,550 and are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited diploma, undergraduate nursing program or Master’s level nurse practitioner program as full-time students.

Second Funding Preference - Qualified applicants who have an EFC of $0-$5,550 and are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited graduate nursing program other than a Master’s level nurse practitioner program as full-time students (e.g., Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, or clinical nurse specialists)

Third Funding Preference - Qualified applicants who have an EFC of $0-$5,550 and are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited diploma, undergraduate or graduate nursing program as part-time students

As an NCSP participant, your NCSP contract requires:

Minimum of 2 years at an eligible critical shortage facility (CSF)*

Recipients fulfill their NCSP service commitment within the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Territory of American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia

Full-time (or if approved by the Secretary, part-time) clinical service in a public or private facility with a critical shortage of nurses located in a State

*Please note: The designation and definition of a CSF is subject to change; and you are expected to work in the capacity for which you were awarded

Service Obligation

Years of Scholarship Support Years of Service Obligation

Up to 1 Full-Time School Year (2013-2014)

2 Years Full-Time

Up to 2 Full- Time School Years (2013-2015)

2 Years Full-Time

Up to 3 Full- Time School Years (2013-2016)

3 Years Full-Time

Up to 4 Full- Time School Years (2013-2017)

4 Years Full-Time

Length of Service Commitment

Critical Shortage Facilities

.

Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)• May be geographic, population, or institutional • NCSP will only use primary medical care and mental health HPSA

designations and scores • For more information on HPSA designations:

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/shortage/. • To find out if a facility is located in a HPSA visit:

o http://datawarehouse.hrsa.gov/GeoAdvisor/ShortageDesignationAdvisor.aspx or;

o http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov o (select only primary medical care or mental health)

Ambulatory Surgical Center Indian Health Service Health Center

Critical Access Hospital Native Hawaiian Health Center

Disproportionate Share Hospital Non-Disproportionate Share Hospital

Nursing Home Rural Health Clinic

Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)

Skilled Nursing Facility

Public Hospital State or Local Public Health and/or Human Services Department

Home Health Agency Hospice Program

Eligible Critical Shortage Facilities

Note* Please see the guidance for a description of these facilities

Critical Shortage Facilities

.

NCSP participants must provide full-time (or if approved, part time) clinical services in a CSF

Participants are expected to serve in a Tier 1 category within a CSF (see next slide)

NCSP participants who have to relocate to accept a position in a different geographic area will not receive a relocation incentive or reimbursement

A HPSA score or designated status may change on the HPSA website• A facility may be deemed a Tier 1 CSF at the time the NCSP participant

begins nursing school but may become a Tier 3 CSF by the time the participant completes nursing school

• If a facility has more than one designation with different scores, NCSP will use the highest score

Critical Shortage Facilities (cont’d)

.

Critical Access Hospital; Disproportionate Share Hospital; Federally Qualified Health Center; Indian Health Service Health Center; Public Hospital; Native Hawaiian Health Center; Rural Health Clinic; Skilled Nursing Facility; State or Local Public Health or Human Services Department

Primary Care or Mental Health HPSA Score 14 or above

Tier 1

Primary Care or Mental Health HPSA Score between 10 – 13

Tier 2

Primary Care or Mental Health HPSA Score between 0 – 9

Tier 3

Ambulatory Surgical Center; Nursing Home; Home Health Agency; Hospice Program; Nonprofit, Non-Disproportionate Share Hospital

Primary Care or Mental Health HPSA Score between 0-25

Tier 4

Payment for Tuition and Eligible Fees

Payment for Other Reasonable Costs

A Monthly Stipend

The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program

provides

Program year begins July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014

Tuition and required fees are paid directly to the nursing school that the awardee is attending.

If attending a joint program (i.e. two institutions) tuition and fees will only be paid to the school of record on the application.

NURSE Corps Scholarship Program does not pay tuition and fees for repeated coursework which has been previously covered by NURSE Corps Scholarship Program funds.

The school is required to submit an invoice directly to the NURSE Corps Scholarship Program for payment of tuition and fees each academic term.

Tuition & Required Fees

The NCSP will pay for coursework related to the nursing degree

All NCSP payments made to and on behalf of the participant for tuition and fees, are taxable. Participants will receive a 1099-Micellaneous Income Form detailing the amount of tuition and fee payments made on the students behalf per IRS guidelines

Tuition and fees are paid for required courses in summer school sessions when (1) summer school is an academic term normally required by the school for all students in the same program and (2) the summer session is in progress during the participant’s contract period

Transfers to other academic institutions are strongly discouraged and must receive prior approval

Tuition & Required Fees (cont’d)

There will be an annual ORC for each contract year. The amount will be determined based on information provided by your institution.

The payment will be included with your stipend which is generally in November.

ORCs are reduced proportionately for students who plan to attend less than a full school year.

ORCs assist in the payment of student expenses such as: Books Clinical Supplies/Instruments Uniforms

Other Reasonable Costs

Full-time students are paid a monthly stipend amount of $1,289.00 (before Federal taxes) for the 2013-2014 school year • State and local taxes are not withheld, and students receive a W-2-Wage

and Tax Statement form noting cumulative stipend payments for the year

Stipends may be stopped if: • A student is repeating coursework that has already been paid for by the

NCSP, • Required documentation has not been received, or • A full-time student become less than full-time (aside from the last

academic term)

Stipend payments will stop the first month any of the following occur:• Degree coursework is completed• Graduation• The NCSP contract ends

Stipends

TUITION AND FEES

• The entire NURSE Corps SP award is taxable

• NURSE Corps SP does not withhold Federal, State or local income taxes from a NURSE Corps SP participant’s tuition and fees

• The participant is responsible for taxes owed on the value of the entire award including tuition and fees. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that federal income tax is paid on the tuition and fee portion of the award if the IRS determines there is a tax liability.

NCSP Tax Information

STIPEND AND ORC

• NURSE Corps SP does withhold Federal income taxes owed on the stipend payments and ORC based on information provided on the W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate by the participant.

• Adjustments to the withholding amount may be made by the participant on the W-4

• State and/or local taxes are not withheld from stipend and ORC payments.

• Each year, participants will receive a 1099-Miscellaneous Income form for amounts paid for tuition and fees and a W-2-Wage and Tax Statement form for amounts paid for stipends and ORC.

• NURSE Corps SP participants should consult their local tax authority regarding applicable federal, state or local taxes for which they may be liable.

NCSP Tax Information (cont’d)

Student Loans Prior to learning of their award status, participants may have to take out a student

loan to cover tuition and eligible fees for the Summer and/or Fall terms of their FIRST program/contract year

While the loan is ultimately the scholar’s responsibility, the institution should submit an itemized invoice to the NCSP showing the amount of tuition & fees paid for with loans and other sources of funding

The NCSP will remit payment to the institution up to the total tuition and eligible fees amount MINUS other sources of funding (i.e., grants, scholarships, gifts, personal loans)

It is then incumbent upon the institution and the student to determine how any remaining credit would be applied to the student’s account

The NCSP will NOT remit payments greater than the sum of tuition & eligible fees

Student Loans-ExampleJohn Kamp was scheduled to begin nursing school at Americas University in August 2013. The tuition and fees for Fall 2013 were $15,000. Prior to learning his award status for the NCSP Scholarship program John received two other forms of financial assistance - another scholarship for $1,500 and a Federal Pell Grant for $5,000. John’s tuition and fees were due prior to the date he was notified of his NCSP scholarship award. In order to enroll as a full-time student, John had to pay his remaining balance in full so he elected to secure a student loan in the amount of $10,000.

In September, after receiving the loan, paying his balance, and receiving a refund from the Financial Aid office, John is notified that he has been selected as an NCSP Scholarship recipient and should have his school invoice the NCSP program for the balance of his tuition and fees after deducting all outside scholarships/grants that were applied to his tuition. After sharing this information with his financial aid office, the university invoiced the NCSP in the amount of $8,500 which covered the balance of his tuition and fees ($15,000) MINUS his scholarship and Pell grant ($6500) and the NCSP remitted an electronic payment directly to John’s school for $8500.

John contacted the NCSP because he was under the impression that the NCSP reimbursement would cover his total $10,000 loan since he used it to pay his tuition balance, and it was less than the amount of his full tuition and fees. He was informed that the NCSP will reimburse universities for student tuition and eligible fees BALANCES following the deduction of any scholarships/grants/gifts. In this case, the additional $1500 funds secured through loans were solely John’s responsibility.

Participants MUST maintain their enrollment status per their contract

Participants are required to promptly notify the NCSP through the Customer Service Portal of any anticipated changes effecting enrollment status; if a change has already occurred, a letter from the school official must be submitted through the customer service portal (i.e., leave of absence, repeat coursework, transfer etc.)

• Prompt notification of status change may prevent a participant from falling into default status

Recipients must be in good academic standing, as defined by the nursing program, for the duration of the academic year

Program Requirements

For the 2013 – 2014 school year, the NCSP is expected to be extremely competitive. The Program anticipates more applicants for scholarship awards than available funds. It is expected that approximately 300 awards will be made for the 2013 – 2014 school year.

Expected Number of Awards

Read the Application and Program Guidance (APG) in its entirety before proceeding with the online application to understand the contractual obligations of NCSP

Be sure you have a complete understanding of the obligation to serve for a minimum of 2 years at a Critical Shortage Facility designated in a Tier 1 HPSA and the financial consequences of failing to perform that obligation

Program strongly recommends you research nursing opportunities that exist in various critical shortage facilities before applying to the program

Review the list of supporting documents required

Allow yourself an adequate amount of time to complete the application process

Before You Apply

How to Apply Applicants should read the Application and Program Guidance(APG) in its entirety before proceeding with the online application.

The application consists of the following:• Online electronic NCSP

application

• Required Supporting Documentation

Complete the Online NURSE Corps Scholarship Program 2013 Application http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/scholarships/Nursing/

Document Type

Essay Questions – Include your application id#; Do not include any personal identifying information

Proof of U.S. Citizenship or U.S. National; and Lawful Permanent Resident (e.g., copy of birth certificate, certificate of citizenship, passport, or naturalization certificate

Copy of complete official Student Aid Report (SAR); not a financial report from the school

Copy of official or unofficial transcript from the most recently completed undergraduate or graduate academic institution/program attended, including their current ; or FT academic term.

Verification of Acceptance/Good Standing Report; Include your application ID #, do not include any PII

Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Letters of Recommendation – 1 Academic, 1 non-academic

Required Supporting Documents

Document Type

Current Tuition and Fee Schedule

Authorization to Release Information

Service Obligation Completion Letter/Uniformed Service Member Verification Letter (if applicable)

Required Supporting Documents (Cont’d)

It is the applicant’s responsibility to upload the online application which includes all the required supporting documents, by the application deadline of 7:30pm EST May 2, 2013; Use of PDF files are strongly recommended.

The applicant must provide their applicant ID # generated by the application at the top of each document. (Do not use your name or SS#)

Incomplete applications cannot be submitted for review

Online applications not submitted by the deadline will not be considered for funding

The Application Process

The information collected online will be used to score your application, with respect to funding preferences

The information submitted in the online application should match all supporting documentation

Inaccurate information can result in your application receiving a low score, reducing your chances for funding

The Application Process (cont’d)

Getting Started: The Online Application Process

• Assurance• Eligibility• General/Background Info• Degree Info• Resume /CV

• Essay Questions• Supporting Documents• Self-Certification• Review & Submit

Register and Create an Account at https://programportal.hrsa.gov/, then complete the following sections of the online application:

Section 1 – Be sure to select NURSE Corps Scholarship Program when completing the application.

Special Attention Areas

Section 2 – Login New Users Create An

Account• Be sure to log off and

click on the link in the confirmation email to begin your application.

If an account exists please use those established login credentials

Special Attention Areas (cont’d)

Section 9 – Degree Information

Program start date must be before September 30, 2013

Special Attention Areas (cont’d)

Section 9 – Start and End Dates• Funding request start dates

must be chronological starting with year 1

• Year 1 start date MUST be on or after July 1, 2013

• Be sure to check the box(s) to identify which year(s) of funding you are requesting

• Funding can only be chosen for sequential years

Special Attention Areas (cont’d)

Section 10 - Letters of Recommendation (LOR) – You may complete your

application as long as you have requested letters of recommendation.

Be sure to check the status of the LOR requests to be certain they have been received.

Your application is considered incomplete and may not be submitted until both LORs are uploaded.

Special Attention Areas (cont’d)

Process To Submit Letters of Recommendation

Email Sent to Recommender

Recommender Uploads

Recommendation Letter

Applicant can Submit

Completed Application

Applicant Should Contact Recommender

or Enter Contact

Information to Send Email to

New Recommender

Applicant Enters Name & Email

Address of Recommender into the BCRS

Program Portal

YESNO

Section 13 – Review and Submit Verify all documents have been

received and uploaded before submission.

You may complete your application before Letters of Recommendation have been received, but you will NOT be able to submit.

Special Attention Areas

Section 14 – Submitted Landing Page Verify number of funding

years requested If you did not check the

appropriate boxes in section 9, funding requested years will not match and you will need to correct before the application deadline.

You may edit your application up to the closing deadline

Special Attention Areas

To return to any completed section of the application• Click Home (top task bar)

and then select the section to which you want to return.

Special Attention Areas

Applicants will receive a receipt of submission notice once an application has been successfully submitted online

The application process occurs over a 3 – 4 month period. Status updates are not provided during this time

If an applicant is selected to receive an award, he or she should receive written notice via email no later than August 31, 2013. Applicants not selected for an award will be notified no later than September 30, 2013

Applicants are urged to check their email daily (be sure to check the spam folder) after applying to the NCSP.

You will have up to seven (7) calendar days to reply via email

indicating acceptance of the NCSP award and submit any requested documents

Application Status

Tuition and eligible fees are paid directly to the institution via electronic payment after an invoice is received by the NCSP from the institution

No tuition payments will be made to an individual, or for non-invoiced items (i.e., personal loans from family members)

The institution is responsible for invoicing the NCSP. If the NCSP does not receive an invoice directly from the institution, no tuition payment will be sent. TUITION AND FEES WILL NOT BE PAID UNTIL THE SCHOOL SENDS AN INVOICE TO THE NCSP AND APPLICANT SUBMITS ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION AND TRANSCRIPT

Monthly stipends and the one-time ORC payment are directly deposited into the recipient’s checking or savings account

Receiving an Award

If a new NURSE Corps SP participant has taken out a student loan to cover the cost of tuition and fees for their summer and/or fall 2013 semester(s) while waiting for notice of an NURSE Corps SP award, the student’s academic institution should supply an itemized invoice to the NURSE Corps SP showing the amount of tuition and fees paid for with that student loan.

The NURSE Corps SP will pay that amount to the academic institution to cover the tuition costs covered by the loan. After the fall 2013 semester, the NURSE Corps SP will not pay tuition and fee costs covered by any student loans

The first direct deposit is made by early November and will include stipend payments retroactive to July 1 and the annual ORC payment

Receiving an Award (cont’d)

Individuals selected for an award who decide not to accept the award may decline the scholarship support without penalty and permits the promotion of alternates to selectee status.

Applicants offered an award but subsequently determined to have not begun classes on or before September 30, 2013, or be on/will be on a leave of absence upon entering the NCSP, should decline the award offer.

Their award will be terminated and they put themselves at risk of being in debt to the federal government for any award funds received.

Declining an Award

Terminating a NCSP Contract You have the option to terminate your contract by June 1 of a contract

year. All funds must be returned for termination to be considered valid.

You may terminate out of contract years to avoid additional service obligation with the following conditions:

• All funds must be returned• Program must be notified by June 1• If you haven't terminated by June 1 of first year and returned all

the obligated funds, you will still incur 2 year service obligation if you cancel remaining years of contract (i.e. if you have a 3 year contract)

After completion of a nursing program: Within 6 months

Obtain a License and accept an offer of employment from an approved HPSA facility

Must be permanently licensed to practice as a registered nurse (or if appropriate, as an advanced practice nurse) in the State where he/she will be serving

Recipients will have up to 3 months following the date of the acceptance of a job offer to commence full-time (or if approved, part-time) clinical services at the facility

Students on probation: Not in good standing with NURSE Corps Scholarship Program

requirements or school requirements Failed a class, will remain with M and T team until in good standing.

Scholarship placed on hold Leave of absence will result in scholarship placed on hold until in good

standing Students that fail school or drop out will be transferred to legal

Monitoring and Transition Requirements

Full-Time or Part-Time Clinical Service Participants may satisfy their service obligations on either a full-time

or part-time basis: Full-time clinical practice is defined as a minimum of 32 hours

per week for a minimum of 45 weeks per year. At least 26 hours per week must be spent providing clinical services or direct patient care, to patients

Part-time clinical practice is defined as a minimum of 16 hours per week and up to a maximum of 31 hours per week, for a minimum of 45 weeks per year. At least 80% of the hours each week must be spent providing clinical services, or direct patient care, to patients

In Service Requirements

Must submit a service verification form for each 6 months of service

Must be completed and signed by the participant and an appropriate official at the approved NURSE Corps Scholarship Program community site

Site will: Certify the participant's compliance or noncompliance with the

full-time or part time clinical practice requirement for each 6-month period

Record the participant's time spent away from the practice site during that 6-month period

No more than 7 weeks per service year can be spent away from the approved NURSE Corps Scholarship Program site for vacation, holidays, continuing professional education, illness, or any other reason.

Participant failure to complete and submit 6-month service obligation verification forms on time may be recommended for default and jeopardize receiving service credit and future amendment awards

Service Verification

In School Transfers to other academic institutions are strongly discouraged,

and will only be considered for exceptional circumstances and must be approved in advance.

IN Service• The NCSP expects that a participant will fulfill his or her obligation

at the NURSE Corps SP-approved CSF.• The participant must transfer to a facility of the same Tier or

higher• All requests must be approved by NCSP prior to transfer.

Transfer Requirements

Application Open Period March 5 – May 2, 2013 at 7:30PM ET

NCSP Contract Year Begins July 1, 2013

Award Notification By August 31, 2013

Acceptance Response Due Up to 7 calendar days

from award notification date

Applicant Denial Notification September 30, 2013

Key Dates

Email Us:gethelp@hrsa.gov

Call Us:Toll Free: 1-800-221-9393 (TTY:1-877-987-9910)

8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays

Web site: http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/scholarships/Nursing/

For Application Questions and Inquiries: