New applicant-facing financial assistance opened October 26, 2026. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched Nurses for Nursing Homes, a direct workforce incentive for eligible registered nurses and licensed practical/vocational nurses working in qualifying nursing homes or a limited number of state survey agency inspector roles. This is financial assistance to individual nurses, not a grant to a nursing home or a procurement contract. Consult the official nurse application portal, CMS program overview, and six-page controlling program FAQ.
Individual benefit maximum: $50,000 over three years, comprising up to $40,000 for eligible nursing-education student loan repayment and up to $10,000 as a stipend. Qualified applicants with eligible nursing debt may receive both. Without loan debt, only individuals who graduated within the preceding two years are potentially eligible for the stipend. Benefits are paid directly to the nurse quarterly, after CMS verifies qualifying work hours; the nurse is responsible for applying loan-repayment funds toward qualifying debt. Benefits are taxable and reported on IRS Form 1099-NEC, with no withholding. The broader $275 million initiative allocation is a program total, not the amount one nurse receives.
Eligibility: hold an active registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical/vocational nurse (LPN/LVN) license and secure employment at a CMS-designated, eligible Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home; limited qualifying state nursing-home inspection positions also count. Work an average of at least 30 hours weekly each quarter and commit to three years of service. Nursing students may open an account, but must become licensed and employed at a qualifying facility before payments begin. Not every nursing home qualifies; applicants must verify the specific facility on the CMS program list.
Prior-employment restriction: in general applicants must not have worked in a nursing home or qualifying state role within the 60 days before opening an account. A temporary exception October 26, 2026–January 24, 2027 allows otherwise eligible nurses who began at a qualifying nursing home between July 28 and October 25, 2026 to apply, with possible prorated payments. Eligible nursing loans include qualifying Federal Direct, Stafford, Perkins, nursing-related Consolidation and accredited-lender private education loans; loans for non-nursing education, Parent PLUS, home equity and credit-card debt are excluded. A nurse transferring facilities must obtain CMS approval and move to another qualifying facility within the required period.
Application window: CMS is accepting applications throughout 2026 and 2027, first come, first served until the funding available for each state has been allocated; there is no universal fixed closing date. Use the Nurses for Nursing Homes portal for eligibility screening, account creation and application. Provide nursing education and license details; a qualifying job offer or recent pay statement; and, if requesting repayment, a loan-servicer statement dated within 90 days. CMS reviews complete applications, usually within 30 business days. Hiring is conducted by the nursing home, not by CMS. Funding remains contingent on award agreement, state allocation and continued eligible employment.