6A-20.050. Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program

(1) Initial Application. To qualify for enrollment into the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program, the applicant must be a certified nurse performing nursing duties full-time at an eligible facility cited in Section 1009.66(1), F.S.

(2) For a nurse employed by more than one eligible facility, the determination of full-time status is based on the combination of all qualifying employment that exceeds an average of thirty-five (35) hours weekly.

(3) The applicant must submit a Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program Application Package (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06159) consisting of: a completed Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program (NSFLP) Initial Application, Form NSLF-1 (effective January 2016); a completed Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program (NSLFP) Employment Verification, Form NSLF-2 (effective January 2016); a completed Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program (NSLFP) Loan Principal Certification, Form NSLF-3 (effective January 2016); a photocopy of the applicant’s current nursing license; and a photocopy of the applicant’s nursing school diploma. The Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program Application Package is incorporated by reference and available from the Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1314, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400 and http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/FFELP/Nursing_Loan_Forgiveness/NursingLoanForgiveness.html.

(4) The entire application package, including a photocopy of the applicant’s current nursing license and a photocopy of the applicant’s nursing school diploma, must be received by the deadline date for each quarterly enrollment. Deadline dates are: December 1 for January 1 enrollment; March 1 for April 1 enrollment; June 1 for July 1 enrollment; and September 1 for October 1 enrollment. Applications received after the deadline date will not be processed. Applicants who meet eligibility requirements in the future may reapply for participation in the program.

(5) Renewal Application. In order to continue in the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program, program participants must renew annually. The Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program Renewal Packet (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06160), consisting of the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program Participant Renewal and Payment Form, Form NSLF-4 (effective January 2016), and Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program Renewal Loan Principal Certification (renewal), Form NSLF-5 (effective January 2016), are incorporated by reference and available from the Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1314, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400 and http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/FFELP/Nursing_Loan_Forgiveness/NursingLoanForgiveness.html. The Participant Renewal and Payment Form, Form NSLF-4, and Loan Principal Certification, Form NSLF-5, will be mailed annually to program participants, by the Department, approximately thirty (30) days prior to the participant’s anniversary date of initial enrollment.

(6) The Participant Renewal and Payment Form, Form NSLF-4, and Loan Principal Certification, Form NSLF-5, must be received annually by the Department by the deadline date, which is based on the participant’s initial enrollment date. Deadline dates are: January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31.

(7) Payment. The Department will provide for the delivery of funds directly to the program participant’s loan holder, on behalf of the program participant, by use of the Loan Principal Certification, Form NSLF-5, requesting the State Comptroller to issue warrants made payable to the program participant’s loan holder for any of the participant’s education loans that are not in default.

(8) Program participants must maintain the payment schedule agreed upon with their loan holder while enrolled in the program.

(9) Match Site Facilities Payment. Match site facilities are Florida licensed hospitals, birth centers and nursing homes cited in Section 1009.66(7), F.S., that employ program participants. They must match funds awarded from the program on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

(10) Match site facilities must annually pay fifty percent of the amount to be forwarded to the program participant’s loan holder. The maximum amount a match site facility is required to pay is $2,000 per year, per program participant.

(11) The Department will notify the match site facility of the amount due, as the match portion of the annual payment, for each program participant employed at that facility, within thirty (30) days of the renewal application deadline.

(12) Matching funds payments must be received by the Department no later than thirty (30) days after notification by the Department.

(13) The Department will not authorize a payment to a program participant’s loan holder until the matching funds payment is received by the Department.

(14) Program participants whose eligible facility does not provide the matching funds payment will not have a payment forwarded to their loan holder and can not renew participation in the program, and the program participant’s agreement will be terminated. Terminated program participants who meet eligibility requirements in the future may reapply for participation in the program.

(15) Affected program participants will be notified by the Department of their program status.

Rulemaking Authority 1009.66 FS. Law Implemented 1009.66 FS. History–New 3-10-02, Amended 1-7-03, Formerly 64E-23.001, Amended 1-7-16.