Administrators forced to turn away most applicants who
have applied to
two popular nursing programs
By Glen Fest
August 2, 2004
Federal funding for
nursing workforce development programs apparently is on
target to rise slightly in 2005, but remains far short
of levels sought by nursing advocates, according to the
American Nurses Association.
A House subcommittee has
approved a $5 million boost to the 2004 funding level of
$147 million for scholarship, diversity grant, and loan
repayment programs under the Nurse Reinvestment Act.
The ANA had asked
Congress for as much as a $63 million increase for the
programs aimed at alleviating the nation’s shortage of
registered nurses.
The programs are so
popular with nurses, according to the ANA, that the
Health Resources and Services Administration turned down
98% of applicants for its nursing scholarship program,
and 92% who applied for the nurse education loan
repayment program in 2003.
A House vote is not
expected until after Congress’ August recess, and a
final funding measure probably will not be worked out
with the Senate until after the November elections, Erin
McKeon, associate director of government affairs for the
ANA, predicted. “They’ve basically punted,” she said.
The programs under the
Nurse Reinvestment Act include advanced education grants
to nursing schools, workforce diversity and retention
grants, plus scholarship and loan programs for nurses
who serve in hospitals with critical shortages. A
repayment program for nurse faculty loans repays up to
85% of educational costs of master’s and doctoral
students.
McKeon said the faculty
loan repayment program is crucial to recruiting more
faculty members to nursing schools.
According to a December
survey from the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing, collegiate nursing programs turned away 11,000
qualified nursing school applicants last fall because of
a lack of faculty.
Original source at
http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/04-08/funds.asp
