Minnesota Hospital Registered Nurse Loan Forgiveness Grant

Minnesota Hospital Registered Nurse Loan Forgiveness Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Minnesota Department of Health
Amount: Up to US $6,000
Last Updated: August 08, 2025

Summary

The Minnesota Hospital Registered Nurse Loan Forgiveness program aims to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in underserved areas. Funded by the Minnesota Department of Health, it offers forgiveness for qualified educational loans, with a minimum eligible debt of $6,000. Registered nurses in nonprofit and public hospitals are eligible, provided they live in Minnesota. The program supports healthcare access by alleviating financial burdens, ensuring more nurses can serve communities in need.

Overview

Minnesota Department of Health Mission: Protecting, maintaining and improving the health of all Minnesotans. Vision: The vision of MDH is for health equity in Minnesota, where all communities are thriving and all people have what they need to be healthy. Minnesota Hospital Registered Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program purpose The purpose of Minnesota’s Health Care Loan Forgiveness program is to recruit and retain health care professionals to needed areas and facilities within Minnesota. Loan forgiveness is an important benefit for health care professionals as well as health care facilities and communities experiencing a shortage of access to primary health care services. The Minnesota Hospital Registered Nurse Loan Forgiveness program provides funds for repayment of Qualified Educational Loans. The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC), Minnesota Department of Health administers this program. It is funded by the State of Minnesota. Applicants must have at least $6,000 in eligible debt to qualify. The ORHPC will make an annual payment to the participant in the amount of $6,000, not to exceed $12,000 total for the maximum of two years or the balance of the designated loan(s), whichever is less, subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature for the loan forgiveness program.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. This program is offered to registered nurses working in direct patient care in Minnesota nonprofit hospitals and Minnesota public hospitals. Outpatient surgical centers and clinics associated with hospitals are not eligible.Applicants must be living in Minnesota and have a Minnesota home address by the time of contract start. (Note: Applicants who have a home address in another state are ineligible, even if they are serving Minnesota patients/clients.) Current nursing students who will be licensed and working by March following the application deadline are also eligible to apply. Qualified Educational Loans include government, commercial, and foundation loans for actual costs paid for tuition, reasonable education and living expenses related to the past graduate or undergraduate education of the Registered Nurse.Applicants cannot concurrently participate in any other student loan repayment/student loan forgiveness program except for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Programs (PSLF)

Ineligibility

Ineligible loans: Credit card debtLoans from family membersParent PLUS loansLoans currently in default, even if in good standing with a collections agency (Previously defaulted loans that have been fully rehabilitated and are not currently in default, ARE eligible).