Pennsylvania nurses who owe money on their student loans have an opportunity to receive up to $7,500 in debt relief through the Commonwealth’s Student Loan Relief for Nurses (SLRN) program.
The $5 million fund was created to help address emergent public health needs related to the pandemic.
Eligible nurses could receive up to $2,500 of loan forgiveness for each year of work, starting in March 2020, for a maximum of 3 years. The maximum benefit will be $7,500 with payments made directly to their student loan servicer.
Since program demand is expected to exceed available resources, qualified applicants will be randomly selected to ensure that student loan relief is provided to nurses working in communities that are geographically disbursed throughout Pennsylvania.
Nurses must meet the following criteria to be eligible:
- Be licensed through the Pennsylvania Department of State
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania (as of the date of application and the annual loan relief payments)
- Work in a Pennsylvania qualifying nursing facility (employment must have begun prior to December 31, 2021)
- Performed job-related duties that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Worked at least a combined 1,250 hours across the qualifying 12-month calendar year
- Have outstanding qualifying student loan debt (as of the date of application and the annual loan relief payments)
To be considered, complete and return a PA Student Loan Relief for Nurses Application by March 1, 2022. Your employment status and student loan information will need to be verified annually for you to continue to receive the student loan relief for up to three years. For full details about the program, visit PHEAA.org/SLRN.
Vincentian will continue to monitor opportunities for student loan relief, and other similar government programs, for all types of staff members, and will pass information on as it is available.