Congress
is considering two nursing loan forgiveness bills and one
scholarship bill to address the nursing shortage. The American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) prefers the bill
introduced by Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), but
supports all three. You can read a synopsis of each bill
below and download AACN's letters of support to Representatives
McCarthy and Tom Tancredo (R-CO). Click
here to read the letters of support online.
Teacher
and Nurse Support Act of 2003 (H.R. 934)
On February
26, 2003, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) introduced the Teacher
and Nurse Support Act of 2003 (H.R. 934). This legislation
would amend the Higher Education Act (HEA) to expand loan
forgiveness and loan cancellation programs for teachers
and nurses. The bill authorizes loan repayment of up to
$17,500 over five years for nurses that agree to work full-time
in a clinical setting or as a member of the faculty at an
accredited school of nursing. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and
Ted Stevens (R-AK) introduced a companion bill in the last
Congress and will reintroduce their bill soon. Read
AACN's letter of support (PDF file).
Nurse
Loan Forgiveness Act of 2003 (H.R. 501)
On March 3, 2003, Reps. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) and Loretta
Sanchez (D-CA) introduced the Nurse Loan Forgiveness Act
of 2003 (H.R. 501). This legislation amends the HEA to include
student loan forgiveness and cancellation programs for full-time
registered nurses who serve at least one year in an approved
health care facility or setting. The bill authorizes a total
loan repayment amount of $17,000 to be repaid incrementally
over five years. Read
AACN's letter of support (PDF file).
Recruitment
and Diversity in Nursing Act of 2003 (H.R. 920)
Also
on February 26, 2003, Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) introduced the
Recruitment and Diversity in Nursing Act of 2003 (H.R. 920).
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to promote
careers in nursing and diversity in the nursing workforce.
The legislation provides scholarships for nontraditional
nurses who agree to work in a health care facility with
a critical shortage of nurses for at least two years. Congress
would determine how much money to provide for scholarships
if the legislation becomes law. Rep. Baca's legislation
also creates a grant program to carry out nursing awareness
and recruitment programs in elementary and secondary schools
with at least 50% nontraditional students.
Letters
of Support from the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing
April
17, 2003
The
Honorable Carolyn McCarthy
1224 Longworth House Office Building
The U.S. House of Representative
Washington, DC 20515
Dear
Congresswoman McCarthy:
I am
writing on behalf of the American Association of Colleges
of Nursing (AACN) to thank you for introducing the Teacher
and Nurse Support Act of 2003 (H.R. 934). As the national
voice of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, AACN
represents nursing programs at more than 570 senior colleges
and universities that educate over 150,000 students each
year and employ over 9,300 nursing faculty. We commend you
for your efforts to expand federal loan forgiveness and
cancellation programs for nursing students and nursing faculty.
By amending
the Higher Education Act, your legislation provides loan
forgiveness and loan cancellation of up to $17,500 for nurses
that agree to work full-time in a clinical setting or as
a member of the faculty at an accredited school of nursing.
Budget constraints, an aging faculty, and increasing job
competition have contributed to a shortage of nursing faculty.
The lack of faculty to train the future nursing workforce
impacts the current bioterrorism preparedness efforts, which
rely heavily upon nurses.
Faculty
shortages at schools of nursing are contributing to an overall
decline in enrollments when the need for nurses is continuing
to grow. According to AACN's report, 2002-2003 Enrollment
and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in
Nursing, nursing schools turned away more than 4,000 qualified
applicants across the United States due to insufficient
number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical
preceptors, and budget constraints. More than half (62%)
of schools who responded to the survey pointed to faculty
shortages as a reason for not accepting qualified applicants
into entry-level baccalaureate programs. The financial incentives
provided in your bill are an excellent way to attract and
retain nursing faculty.
AACN
supports your bill and your ongoing efforts to provide and
expand educational opportunities for nursing students and
nursing faculty during a time of critical shortage.
Sincerely,
Geraldine
"Polly" Bednash, PhD, RN, FAAN
Executive Director
April
17, 2003
The
Honorable Thomas G. Tancredo
418 Cannon House Office Building
The U.S. House of Representative
Washington, DC 20515
Dear
Congressman Tancredo:
I am
writing on behalf of the American Association of Colleges
of Nursing (AACN), to thank you for introducing the Nurse
Loan Forgiveness Act of 2003 (H.R. 501). As the national
voice of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, AACN
represents nursing programs at more than 570 senior colleges
and universities that educate over 150,000 students each
year and employ over 9,300 nursing faculty. We commend you
for your efforts to expand federal loan forgiveness for
nurses.
By amending
the Higher Education Act, your legislation provides loan
forgiveness and loan cancellation of up to $17,000 for nurses
that agree to work full-time in an approved health care
facility or setting. The combined factors of an aging registered
nurse workforce, lack of nursing faculty, and an insufficient
number of enrollments in schools of nursing to meet the
projected demand for one million well-educated new and replacement
nurses by 2010, are having a devastating impact on health
care delivery across the nation. Your bill will encourage
individuals to enter and continue in the nursing profession.
AACN
supports your bill and your ongoing efforts to provide and
expand educational opportunities for nurses at time of critical
shortage.
Sincerely,
Geraldine
"Polly" Bednash, PhD, RN, FAAN
Executive Director
