Active — Rolling / Limited AvailabilityAtlas Opportunity Score 92/100
Maryland Pay It Forward Fund — Zero-Interest Nursing Education Loans (2026-27 Pilot)
Maryland's new $3 million Pay It Forward Fund is active for the 2026-27 academic year, beginning with Associate Degree in Nursing students at the Community College of Baltimore County. Eligible students can access 0% interest loans for tuition gaps and living expenses, with income-based deferment available below the program's $50,000 annual income threshold.
Funding$3 million total program capitalization for the Maryland Pay It Forward Fund. Current participant support includes 0% interest living-expense loans up to $6,000 per year and tuition-gap loans up to $5,000 per year; Social Finance also publishes a tuition-gap maximum of up to $15,000 for two years of the program. No student fees are charged.
DeadlineActive / limited-availability pilot for the 2026-27 academic year. No fixed public application deadline is published; funding is limited and subject to availability.
Last verifiedSeptember 5, 2026
Required next actionIf enrolled in or accepted to CCBC's Associate Degree in Nursing program, confirm Maryland residency, age 18+, U.S. work authorization, FAFSA filing or CCBC-verified FAFSA ineligibility, and the program's basic credit requirements. Contact CCBC Financial Aid for current application instructions and apply through the MD Pay It Forward Fund / Ascent process while funding remains available. Do not assume future participating colleges or loan terms until the program publishes them.
Broad Eligibility
Current pilot eligibility includes students enrolled in or accepted to the Associate Degree in Nursing program at a participating community college, presently the Community College of Baltimore County; Maryland residency; age 18 or older; authorization to work in the United States; no active bankruptcy and no more than $15,000 in collections excluding medical and student debt; and proof of a FAFSA filing or proof of FAFSA ineligibility verified by CCBC. Eligibility is confirmed by Ascent.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score 92/100. High-value Maryland nursing-workforce financing because the program combines 0% interest tuition-gap and living-expense support with income-based deferment below a $50,000 annual income threshold and recycling of repayments into future cohorts. This is not a healthcare-provider grant or procurement. N9+ Direct Vendor Fit 0/100 and QC Healthcare Fit 0/100 because funds are individual education loans for nursing students rather than organizational technology, clinical-service or physician-coverage funding.
The Maryland Pay It Forward Fund is a new $3 million public-philanthropic nursing-workforce financing program launched by the State of Maryland and Social Finance. The 2026-27 pilot begins with Associate Degree in Nursing students at the Community College of Baltimore County and is expected to support about 80 nursing students in its first year.
Eligible participants may use 0% interest loans for tuition gaps, living expenses, or both. Social Finance currently lists living-expense loans of up to $6,000 per year and tuition-gap loans of up to $5,000 per year, with a published two-year program maximum of up to $15,000 for tuition gaps. Students pay no program fees and make no loan payments while enrolled. Repayment begins three months after graduation or withdrawal, and borrowers earning below $50,000 annually may request income-based deferment, including a $0 monthly payment while approved.
This is a student workforce-financing opportunity rather than a provider grant. Current eligibility includes Maryland residency, enrollment in or acceptance to the ADN program at a participating community college, age 18 or older, U.S. work authorization, specified basic credit requirements, and proof of a FAFSA filing or CCBC-verified FAFSA ineligibility. The pilot currently partners only with CCBC, although additional colleges may be added as the program expands. Interested students should contact CCBC Financial Aid and complete the MD Pay It Forward Fund loan process through the program’s Ascent platform while funding remains available.
Source verificationReferenced source · socialfinance.orgAtlas last verified this record September 5, 2026. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
