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• Enrollment in the advanced nursing education degree program or doctoral degree program.
• In good academic standing at the time of application.
• Commitment to become full-time nurse faculty for a period of four consecutive years at an accredited college of nursing upon graduation.
• A United States citizen, a non-citizen national, or a lawful permanent resident of the US, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau (A student in the US on a student or visitor's visa is not eligible for the NFLP loan).
• Have no judgment liens entered against his/her property for default on a federal debt, 28 U.S.C. 3201(e).

• Enrollment in the advanced nursing education degree program or doctoral degree program.
• Must complete all required coursework, clinicals and practicum prior to graduation.
• Must maintain enrollment for a minimum of two consecutive semesters/terms during an academic year while receiving NFLP support, unless the borrower is:
  • Scheduled to graduate in December
  • Ordered to active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States
  • Or on an approved, temporary leave of absence

• Be accepted into one of St. Catherine University's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) options or the Master of Science-Nurse Educator option.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at . The student is not required to demonstrate financial need. The FAFSA will provide confirmation of citizenship status and student loan default.
• Complete and submit the to the St. Catherine Financial Aid Office.
• Meet with the Program NFLP Director (virtually, in person, or by phone) to discuss eligibility requirements.
• Application Priority Deadline: July 1, 2025.
• Applications will be accepted after this point, however students will be considered for funding based upon their date of application.
• Note that funding is prioritized by those who have received NFLP funding in previous years, and by application submission date. Students will be notified by the Financial Aid Office if they are being offered NFLP funding.

• The Office of Financial Aid determines loan eligibility and will include any loan offers on your award letter. You will receive an email from our loan servicer, ECSI, notifying you that you have a new loan offer available.
• You will then either register with ECSI (new borrowers) or sign in to your ECSI profile (returning borrowers) to complete the entrance counseling and sign your master promissory note. If you do not want to accept the full amount offered, please contact your financial aid counselor.
• Allowable Costs – NFLP funds are awarded to cover the cost of tuition, fees, and books.
  • Receipt of other awards designated for these expenses will result in a corresponding decrease in the NFLP award.
  • A book allowance is based on a per credit hour average of the book costs for the program, so actual book costs may vary from the award allowance provided.
  • Upon request, the NFLP award may be increased to cover the reasonable cost of a computer.
• Limitations
  • NFLP loan awards will be made annually (subject to the availability of funds, submission/completion and approval of all required forms, and the recipient maintaining good academic standing) for the period required to complete the course of study, not to exceed five years of NFLP support.
  • If funding is limited, past NFLP recipients will have priority over new applicants.
  • If you wish to decline your nurse faculty loan, send an email to finaid@stkate.edu. Please include your full name, your student I.D. number, and a message stating you want to decline your Nursing loan.

• An NFLP borrower must, within twelve months of graduation, obtain full-time employment as a nurse faculty at an accredited college of nursing. For the Nurse Faculty Loan Program at St. Kate's, "full-time employment as a nurse faculty can look like any of the following combinations":
  • One Full-time Faculty position (tenure or non-tenure track) = One Full-time employment status.
  • One Part-time faculty position (adjunct faculty/clinical instructor/part-time faculty) + One Part-time faculty position = One Full-time employment status.
  • One Part-time faculty position + One Clinical educator position (clinical educator, clinical preceptor) = One Full-time employment status.
  • One Full-time APRN preceptor designated as (joint) faculty (within an academic-practice partnership framework) = One Full-time employment status.
  • After each year of full-time employment, a portion of the NFLP loan will be forgiven (cancelled).
• Nurse faculty is defined as an academic educator (faculty) or a clinical educator/instructor role at an accredited college of nursing, or a clinical educator/preceptor role working with nursing students at an accredited health facility in a role as outlined above.
• Maximum forgiveness (cancellation) is 20% of the first three years and 25% of the fourth year of the remaining balance borrowed (and interest thereon) as determined on the first date of employment.
• A service requirement/obligation incurred under another federal program for educational support must remain separate and distinct from the service requirement/obligation for the NFLP program.

• St. Catherine University employs to facilitate the NFLP loan forgiveness process. All forms can be found by entering 'St. Catherine University' into the School Name search function.
• Obtain full-time employment as a nurse faculty at an accredited college of nursing and submit the NFLP Employment Certification Form within twelve months of graduation and annually with other forms as identified.
• Questions or concerns regarding the loan forgiveness process can be directed to Student Accounts and/or the NFLP Program Director.

• Interest begins to accrue three months after the borrower graduates or ceases to be enrolled in an eligible program of study.
• For borrowers who graduate from the eligible nursing degree program, the interest rate is 3% per year.
  • Loans for borrowers employed as full-time nurse faculty at an accredited college of nursing for a consecutive four-year period will bear interest at the rate of 3% for the four-year period and the remaining six years of the repayment period.
• Prevailing Market Rate:
  • Interest will accrue at the prevailing market rate when a borrower:
    • Fails to complete the course of study.
    • Fails to establish eligible full-time employment following graduation from the program, or
    • Ceases full-time employment as nurse faculty at a college of nursing prior to completing the entire four-year service agreement.
  • The prevailing market rate is determined by the U.S. Treasury Department and is published quarterly in the Federal Register. The rate is fixed, and will be the prevailing market rate in effect when the rate is converted. Refer to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Finance website for current or historical rates.

• Grace Period: The grace period for an NFLP loan is nine months and begins immediately after the borrower graduates or otherwise ceases to pursue a course of study at the college of nursing. Neither interest nor principal is payable during the grace period, although interest begins to accrue after three months.
• Repayment Period: The ten-year repayment period begins after the nine-month grace period. Payments are not due from a borrower during periods of Postponement while employed full-time to qualify for the cancellation. However, these years are included in the ten-year repayment period.
• Repayment Schedule: The NFLP loan is repayable in equal or graduated periodic installments, which must be made no less often than quarterly, in accordance with the terms of the schedule provided by NMC and agreed to by the borrower
  • If the borrower’s NFLP loan has been cancelled for the maximum portion of the principal amount of the loan and interest, the remaining amount of the unpaid loan balance is repayable in equal or graduated periodic installments over the remaining six years of the repayment period.
  • If the borrower receives partial cancelation for one, two or three years of employment (i.e. a total cancellation of 20%, 40% or 60%), the remaining unpaid balance of the loan is repayable in equal or graduated periodic installments over the remaining repayment period (nine,eight or seven years, respectively).
• Prepayment: The borrower may, at his or her option and without penalty, prepay all or any part of the principal and accrued interest at any time. If an accelerated payment is made, that prepayment must first be applied to any accrued interest and then to the principal balance.
• Multiple Loans: When a borrower has more than one NFLP loan outstanding at NMC, the sum of the amounts loaned may be combined for repayment purposes (i.e. multiple loans disbursed to a recipient during the academic year or years of support). NFLP loan disbursements from more than one NFLP college cannot be combined for repayment purposes.
• Consolidation: At any time after the end of the grace period, NFLP Loans are eligible to be consolidated. However, after consolidation the loan is not eligible for cancellation.

• NFLP borrowers are eligible for deferment for up to three years:
  • When ordered to active duty as a member of a uniformed service of the United States (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps, or the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps).
    • A borrower who voluntarily joins a uniformed service is NOT eligible for deferment, nor is a borrower who is employed by one of the uniformed services in a civilian capacity.
  • When the borrower graduated and is employed as nurse faculty, and returns to a graduate nursing education program to further their preparation as nurse faculty, or
  • When the borrower graduated and is pursuing advanced professional training in Nursing (e.g. postdoctoral program/ fellowship).
• Deferments are not automatic. A borrower must submit a Certification for Deferment Status for each period of deferment, at least thirty days before the beginning of:
  • The activity that makes the borrower eligible for deferment, or
  • The repayment period (i.e., the due date of the first payment) if the borrower is beginning the activity during the grace period.
• During periods of deferment, interest continues to accrue at the prevailing market rate but is not required to be paid during this period.
• Deferment periods are not excluded from the ten-year repayment period.

• Death: The college will cancel any remaining payments on the NFLP loan upon receipt of a death certificate or other official proof of the borrower’s death.
• Permanent and Total Disability: A borrower may be entitled to cancellation of any remaining payment of the NFLP loan in the event of permanent and total disability. Permanent and total disability is defined as unable to engage in gainful employment of any kind because of a medically determined impairment that is expected to continue for a long and indefinite period of time or to result in death.
  • To claim cancellation for disability, a borrower must submit a formal request to NMC, and provide specific documentation pertaining to the borrower’s loans, disability, treatment, employment history and financial support. Upon review of the documentation, the Secretary of HHS or a designee will make this determination and will cancel the NFLP loan upon approval.

• Any of the following conditions will cause the NFLP loan to be considered in default:
  • Failure to graduate from the program of study.
  • Failure to obtain eligible full-time employment and provide certification within twelve months of graduation.
  • Failure to complete four consecutive years of eligible full-time employment.
  • Failure to make payments as required by the promissory note and repayment agreement.
    • When a loan is in default:
      • It is no longer eligible for cancellation.
      • Interest rate will be increased to the prevailing market rate.

The number and amount of NFLP loans is limited by the amount of funding provided to the
institution by the Department of Health and Human Services. The maximum amount of the loan is
$40,000 per year; the actual amount awarded to a student will depend upon their enrollment and
other funding sources.

You may cover your education costs with a number of funding sources, however you cannot use NFLP to cover the same charges that are being covered by tuition remission/reimbursement or a tuition scholarship.

NFLP loans are awarded for tuition, required fees, and standard book expenses only. NFLP loans do not include stipend support (i.e., living expenses, student transportation, room/board, personal expenses). However, students may apply for support from other federal programs (Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program, Graduate PLUS Loan Program) when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov.

An NFLP loan is not transferrable between schools. You must reapply for consideration at St. Kate’s. 

You will  discuss which courses or approved educational components you will need to take in addition to your DNP program requirements to fulfill the terms of the NFLP loan with the NFLP Program Director prior to your application being reviewed.

Students can borrow all, part, or none of the NFLP loan funds they have been offered. You are, however, required to notify the Financial Aid Office of whether you accept or decline the loan funds being offered to you.

The amount you can receive in NFLP is directly dependent upon the number of credits for which you enroll. Students are initially awarded NFLP based upon anticipated fall and spring semester enrollment. Therefore, if you decrease the number of credits you take, your NFLP loan will also be decreased. If you increase the number of credits you take, your NFLP loan may be increased dependent upon available funding at that time. Summer term loan availability will vary and is not guaranteed.

“Full-time” employment is defined by the lending institution (St. Kate’s) as a 30 hour work week (.75 FTE equivalent), and must include one of the following criteria:

1. Employment as a full-time faculty member at an accredited school of nursing,
2. Employment as a part time faculty member at an accredited school of nursing in combination with another part time faculty position or part time preceptor/educator position affiliated with an accredited school of nursing that together equates to full-time employment, or
3. Designation of nurse faculty in a joint nurse faculty appointment serving as full-time advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) preceptor for an accredited school of nursing, within an academic-practice partnership framework.

Note: Contract terms within academic institutions vary and may not equal a calendar year. Thus, for the purposes of repayment, the lending school defines "year" as either a calendar year or a full academic year as defined by the employing institution.

Institutions must cancel up to 85% of the loan funds for borrowers who obtain full-time nurse faculty employment within 12 months post-graduation. Specific details on the loan cancellation process will be communicated to you upon graduation during exit counseling, however to be eligible for loan cancellation the borrower must submit certification of employment within a reasonable timeframe (but no later than 12 months post-graduation) and a Request for Partial Cancellation of Loan form at the end of each completed year of full-time nurse faculty employment.

Yes, you are responsible for paying any remaining portion of the loan, plus interest, after all cancellation provisions are applied. A loan repayment schedule will be established for all borrowers at the time they become eligible for repayment.

Borrowers who are unable to establish employment under the terms of loan cancellation, or who do not complete the course of study, will be expected to repay the loan in equal or graduated installments over the 10 year period that begins 9 months after ceasing enrollment.

St. Catherine University is the loan holder for NFLP. However, repayment is currently processed through a third-party servicer, ECSI, who will send you bills, process your payment, and address any customer service needs you may have. For additional information regarding repayment and ECSI, please see the Student Accounts webpage under the “Perkins, Nursing Student and Nurse Faculty Loans” section.