71-17,111. Loan distribution; conditions.

Loans may be made by the department under the Nursing Faculty Student Loan Act for educational expenses of a qualified student who agrees in writing to engage in nursing instruction in an approved nursing program for two years of full-time nursing instruction for each year a loan is received, with a maximum of six years of nursing instruction in Nebraska in return for three years of loans under the act. Loans shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) Loans shall be used only for educational expenses for a masters or doctoral accredited nursing program. The use of loan funds by the recipient is subject to review by the department;

(2) Each loan shall be for one academic year;

(3) A loan recipient shall not receive more than five thousand dollars per academic year and shall not receive more than fifteen thousand dollars under the act;

(4) Loans shall be forgiven at the rate of five thousand dollars loaned per two years of full-time nursing instruction in Nebraska;

(5) If a loan recipient discontinues enrollment in the masters or doctoral accredited nursing program before completing the program, he or she shall repay to the department one hundred percent of the outstanding loan principal with simple interest at a rate of one point below the prime interest rate as of the date the loan recipient signed the contract. Interest shall accrue as of the date the loan recipient signed the contract. Such repayment shall commence within six months after the date he or she discontinues enrollment and shall be completed within the number of years for which loans were awarded;

(6) If, after the loan recipient completes the masters or doctoral accredited nursing program and before all of his or her loans are forgiven under the act, he or she fails to begin or ceases full-time nursing instruction pursuant to the loan agreement, he or she shall repay to the department one hundred twenty-five percent of the outstanding loan principal with simple interest at a rate of one point below the prime interest rate as of the date the loan recipient signed the contract. Interest shall accrue as of the date the loan recipient signed the contract. Such repayment shall commence within six months after the date of completion of the program or the date the loan recipient ceases full-time nursing instruction, whichever is later, and shall be completed within the number of years for which loans were awarded; and

(7) Institutions which offer a masters or doctoral accredited nursing program may act as agents of the department for the distribution of loans to eligible students.

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