Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses with outstanding student loan debt are encouraged to apply for up to $6,000 in loan repayment through the Nurse Retention Loan Repayment Program (NULR).
“If you think you might be eligible to apply, don’t wait,” said Dr. Jennifer Rogers, executive director of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, which administers the program. “2026 is the last year of this program, and funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis through August 31 or until the funds have been spent.”
To be eligible for the loan repayment assistance, nurses must have a current relevant license and work full-time in Mississippi in a skilled nursing home or general acute care hospital that is licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health. Eligible recipients must also have outstanding student loans in their own name. Awards of up to $6,000 will be paid directly to the loan servicer after the nurse has completed at least one full year of eligible work.
“We know nurses are in high demand and have options in where they choose to work,” said Rogers. “This program was designed as a way to address the state’s nursing shortage in our hospitals and nursing homes, while also helping nurses quickly pay down any debt they carry from nursing school.”
Nurses may learn more and apply online at www.msfinancialaid.org/nulr/.
NULR was created by the Mississippi Legislature in response to the nursing shortage that worsened after the COVID pandemic and is funded with Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act.
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The Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid (SFA) administers all state student financial aid programs, which include grants, forgivable loans, and loan repayment programs. Public, private, two-year, and four-year college students in Mississippi may be eligible for state aid. SFA is an Office of the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, which governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.
