Arra - Nurse Faculty Loan Program (93.408)

Program

93.408 Arra - Nurse Faculty Loan Program

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Health Resources and Services Administration

Authorization

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , Public Law 111-5.

Program Number

93.408

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

The purpose of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program as supported through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty and direct resources to address health professions workforce shortages. Schools of nursing that receive NFLP-ARRA funds must use funds to provide loans to students enrolled in eligible advanced degree nursing programs (master�s or doctoral) with an education component(s) that will prepare the student to teach. Loan recipients must agree to complete the education program, and following graduation, may cancel up to 85% of the NFLP loan while serving as full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing.

Types of Assistance

Project Grants

Uses and Use Restrictions

The school will establish an ARRA-NFLP fund to be used only for making NFLP loans to eligible students and for the costs associated with collection of these loans. Institutions may award a maximum loan amount of $30,000 per student for an academic year to support the cost of tuition, fees, books, laboratory expenses and other reasonable education expenses. Upon completion of the program, an amount up to 85 percent of the loan may be cancelled by the institution as follows: upon completion of the first, second, and third year of full-time faculty employment in a school of nursing, 20 percent of the principal and interest of the unpaid loan shall be cancelled for each year; upon completion of the fourth year of full-time employment as faculty in a school of nursing, 25 percent of the principal and interest of the unpaid loan shall be made be given for the fourth year.

NFLP -ARRA funds must be kept separate from regularly appropriated NFLP funds and should not be commingled for tracking and reporting purposes. No one student may receive both NFLP-ARRA funds and annual NFLP appropriated funds in the same budget/project period.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible applicants include all accredited public, non-profit and private or for-profit schools of nursing that offer an advanced degree nursing education program (master�s or doctoral) to prepare full-time and part-time advanced degree nursing students to serve as faculty at schools of nursing.

In addition, the school must be located in a State in the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa or the Trust Territory of the Pacific.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Eligible nursing students must: (1) be a citizen or national of the United States, or a lawful permanent resident of the United States, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. A student who remains in this country on a student or visitor's visa is not eligible; (2) be enrolled in an advanced degree program in nursing to become qualified nursing faculty; (3) not be in default on a Federal debt; and (4) maintain good academic standing.

Credentials/Documentation

Applicants should review the individual HRSA Guidance documents issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications, which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. HRSA is requiring applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov. All applicants must submit in this manner unless the applicant is granted a written exemption from this requirement in advance by the Director of HRSA�s Division of Grants Policy. Grantees must request an exemption in writing from DGPWaivers@hrsa.gov, and provide details as to why they are technologically unable to submit electronically though the Grants.gov portal.

All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee which will make funding recommendations to the Associate Administrator for the Bureau of Health Professions. The Associate Administrator has the authority to make final selections for awards..

Award Procedure

Notification is made in writing through a Notice of Grant Award issued from the Headquarters Office.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 90 to 120 days.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching Requirements: Schools that participate in the loan program must contribute to the loan fund an amount equal but to not less than one-ninth of the fiscal year award.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Project periods are for one (1) year. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Grantees draw funds from the Payment Management System, HHS's centralized web-based payment system.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

All projects funded with ARRA funds are subject to special quarterly reporting requirements as outlined in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act.

The institution must submit the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, Annual Operating Report (AOR) annually through electronic submission at https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/home.asp

The NFLP Annual Operating Report (AOR) is due each year within 45 days following the last day of the project period and should reflect the loan fund activity for the reporting period.

Institutions must comply with ARRA reporting requirements. Additional ARRA reporting requirements are as mandated by Section 1512 of the Recovery Act and OMB guidance made available at www.recovery.gov for required reporting information. Cash reports are not applicable. All projects funded with ARRA funds are subject to special quarterly reporting requirements as outlined in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act.

The institution must submit the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, Annual Operating Report (AOR) annually through electronic submission at https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/home.asp

The NFLP Annual Operating Report (AOR) is due each year within 45 days following the last day of the project period and should reflect the loan fund activity for the reporting period.

Institutions must comply with ARRA reporting requirements. Additional ARRA reporting requirements are as mandated by Section 1512 of the Recovery Act and OMB guidance made available at www.recovery.gov for required reporting information. All projects funded with ARRA funds are subject to special quarterly reporting requirements as outlined in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act.

The institution must submit the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, Annual Operating Report (AOR) annually through electronic submission at https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/home.asp

The NFLP Annual Operating Report (AOR) is due each year within 45 days following the last day of the project period and should reflect the loan fund activity for the reporting period.

Institutions must comply with ARRA reporting requirements. Additional ARRA reporting requirements are as mandated by Section 1512 of the Recovery Act and OMB guidance made available at www.recovery.gov for required reporting information. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

Grantees are required to maintain grant accounting records 3 years after the end of a grant period. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the record has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later.

Program Accomplishments

Not Applicable.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-0351-0-1-550.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $5,970,000; FY 10 est $5,970,000 - FY 09 Est. $5,970,000; FY 10 Est. $5,970,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

No Data Available.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR Part 92 for State, local and tribal governments and 45 CFR Part 74 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofit organizations and commercial organizations.

Related Programs

93.264 Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP); 93.364 Nursing Student Loans

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Nicolette Solan-Pegler, Division of Student Loans and Scholarships, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 9-105, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-5729. Fax: (301) 443-7891.
Email: nsolan-pegler@hrsa.gov.

Headquarters Office

Nicolette Solan-Pegler 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-105, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Phone: (301) 443-5729

Web Site Address

No Data Available

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Applications will be reviewed for completeness and accuracy, and to determine if applicant schools meet minimum program requirements. All eligible applicants are considered in a formula for determined awards. Eligible applicants must meet all applicable Federal guidelines and/or graduates must be eligible for national nursing organization certification, and/or programs must meet other national organizational guidelines, as appropriate, in the nursing field of study.