STATE OF OKLAHOMA NURSING STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

How to get an application.
The deadline.
When applicant will know if selected.
Nurses seeking a higher degree.
When nursing coursework is already completed.
Scholarship amounts and when it changes from scholarship to loan.
The matching scholarship.
Where the recipient fulfills the service obligation after training and licensing.

How to get an application.
Click here to download an application from our website.  Copies can also be obtained from Oklahoma schools with accredited nursing programs, hospitals and nursing homes; or contact our office and one will be mailed to you.

Application deadline.
June 28, 2013 is the deadline for the 2013/2014 academic year.  Applications must be postmarked before this date; they can also be dropped of at our office by 4:30PM.  No faxed or emailed copies will be accepted.

If starting school in the Spring, you must attach your school's Nursing Degree Checklist indicating the courses completed and courses currently enrolled in.

If the school notifies of acceptance after our application period closes, attach a note to your application listing the school’s application deadline and when they will send out notification.  Also attach a copy of the Nursing Degree Checklist indicating the courses completed and the courses currently enrolled in.

When applicant will know if selected.
All applicants will be notified, by mail, by July 15th.  The notification letter will be either of being selected for the scholarship (scholarship interview is required) or of being declined.  If you do not receive a letter, call our office July 16th at 405/843-5667.

Seeking a higher degree or if coursework is already completed.
For nurses seeking a higher degree:
1. You must be within two years of obtaining your degree.
2. Financial assistance is not available to students enrolled in general education courses only.
3. The service obligation of the scholarship loan does not begin until after the higher degree is obtained and/or licensing, if applicable.
4. The scholarship for Master of Science in Nursing does NOT include the Nurse Administration/Management Master's Program.

Applying when part or all of the nursing program is already completed.
The funding does not cover courses already taken and is available only to students enrolled in an accredited program of study leading to a degree in nursing. The graduation date cannot be before December of this year.

The nitty gritty of the scholarship.
For scholarship amounts, please see page one of the application for the non-matching amounts and the range for matching.  A matching scholarship application has the potential to receive a larger scholarship amount than a non-matching application; however that is not always the case.  Matching scholarship applicants should be aware of how much their sponsoring facility will fund.  The State of Oklahoma will match the sponsor funds, up to our limit.

Funding for the fall semester begins in August and is disbursed over the academic year.

The Nursing Student Assistance Program is a “scholarship loan” and is forgiven when the required service obligation is fulfilled upon completion of nursing school and licensing. Students that do not fulfill the required obligations must repay the scholarship loan plus interest and/or liquidated damages.

How long is the required service obligation?
The nurse is obligated to practice nursing* full-time one year for each academic year of financial assistance received. The minimum obligation is one year.

*At the degree level for which financial assistance was received

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When applying for a matching scholarship.
The matching scholarship is an excellent opportunity for the nursing student.  The matching applicant has the potential to receive a larger scholarship amount than a non-matching applicant; however that is not always the case. Matching applicants need to be aware of how much their sponsoring facility will fund.  The State of Oklahoma will match the sponsor funds, up to our limit. Remember, the service obligation will be fulfilled with the sponsoring institution after training and licensing. 

Please read on for more information about the matching scholarship.

The applicant will find and secure a health institution to sponsor them.  Make sure it is somewhere you want and are willing to work once you are out of school.  The service obligation will be with the sponsoring institution. 

Obtaining a sponsor is much like a job interview; you are asking a health facility to invest in you.  Present yourself as a candidate whose services they would be interested in securing upon your graduation as a nurse.  The most common type of facility to sponsor is a hospital or nursing home.  Individuals to speak with are the Nurse Recruiter or Nurse Education Director, Director of Nurses, or the Administrator.  

Things the applicant should consider before applying for a matching scholarship.
It is imperative to weigh the pros and cons of what a matching scholarship offers.  We listed here a few reasons the applicant should thoughtfully consider before seeking a health institution to sponsor them.

1. The amount of a matching scholarship is not always more than a non-matching scholarship, in some cases it is less.
2. If the nursing student is employed with the sponsor while attending school; after licensing, the sponsor may offer employment for the service obligation in a unit different from where the recipient was employed in a less skilled capacity while a student.
3. The matching recipient will not have the choice of where the service obligation can be fulfilled. The matching recipient that chooses to not fulfill the required work obligation with the sponsoring institution must repay the scholarship loan plus interest and/or liquidated damages.

Keep in mind that employers usually seek experience regardless of field.  For this reason it is sometimes beneficial to have a sponsor upon becoming a nurse.  The one or two years the recipient fulfills with the sponsoring facility will provide invaluable experience should the nurse choose to become employed elsewhere after fulfilling the obligation.

Where the nurse will work to fulfill the service obligation.
The “Matching” recipient is obligated to practice nursing with the sponsoring institution.
The “Non-matching” recipient can fulfill in the qualified health institution of choice.

What are the qualified health facilities where the service obligation can be fulfilled?
The goal of this financial assistance program is getting nurses to practice in underserved areas and facilities in the State of Oklahoma.  There are numerous facilities which qualify for fulfillment of the service obligation but we do not have a set list as it can change. 

Examples of facilities that do not qualify:  physician-owned hospitals/clinics; private duty practice; research; federal facilities such as VA Hospitals or Indian Hospitals; industrial, school, or summer camp nursing.  Although there are shortages of nurses throughout the health field, these types of facilities are not considered underserved for the purpose of this program.

Examples of facilities that qualify:  community-owned hospitals and their subsidiaries; nursing homes, hospice and home health; employment as a nurse for the State of Oklahoma which includes State owned VA Clinics.

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