Waynesburg University has received additional funding from the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) to offer financial support to graduate nursing program students seeking a career in academia.
As stated on the Health Resources & Services Administration’s website, “the NFLP is a loan forgiveness program designed to prepare and train qualified nurse educators to fill faculty vacancies and increase the number of trained nurses entering the workforce.”
The NFLP program [provides] students a viable path to becoming a nurse educator by preparing them academically for the positions and by the financial support during the program.”
The loan program offers 85% forgiveness if students work as nursing faculty for four years after graduation.
“By offering the NFLP program to graduate students, Waynesburg University has been able to help local nursing schools meet the need for faculty members,” said Dr. Kim Whiteman, associate professor of nursing. “The NFLP program [provides] students a viable path to becoming a nurse educator by preparing them academically for the positions and by the financial support during the program.”
During the 2019-20 academic year, Waynesburg experienced an increased interest in the loan program and supported 40 students for a total of nearly $250,000. Twenty-three students enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program while 17 enrolled in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program.
According to Dr. Whiteman, the University has received funding to enroll 11 more future nurse faculty members in various graduate nursing programs for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year.
“The availability of NFLP funding has been helpful in attracting potential students to the University and to future careers in education,” added Dr. Whiteman.
To be eligible for this funding, nursing schools must be a public or private nonprofit, accredited school that offers educator coursework as part of an advanced education nursing degree program that prepares students to serve as nurse faculty.
To learn more about Waynesburg’s graduate nursing programs or NFLP funding, contact Kayla Ayers, assistant director of graduate and professional enrollment, at kayers@waynesburg.edu.
Accreditation
Waynesburg’s MSN Program and DNP Program, as well as the baccalaureate degree program in nursing, are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20001, 202-887-6791.
