Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced
Nurses for Nursing Homes, a $275 million initiative expected to support more than 4,000 nurses and nursing students nationwide. We have been anticipating this announcement, as we shared last week at DS26. T he campaign aims to strengthen recruitment and retention in
qualifying long term care facilities, located in rural communities and areas with greater workforce shortages. The methodology that CMS uses to identify qualifying long term care facilities can be located
here.
Eligible nurses may receive
up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and/or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year service commitment. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are participating, and all rural nursing facilities—plus additional facilities in higher labor-shortage areas—are eligible.
To receive payments, nurses accepted into the initiative must:
- Hold an active RN or LPN/LVN license when employment begins.
- Work at least 30 hours per week at a qualifying nursing home.
- Have eligible student loan debt to qualify for loan repayment. Applicants without student loan debt must have graduated within the past two years to qualify for a stipend.
- Have not worked in a nursing home for at least 60 days before opening an application account and starting an application. During the initiative’s first 90 days (October 26, 2026–January 24, 2027), an exception applies to RNs and LPNs/LVNs who began working at an eligible nursing home between July 28 and October 25, 2026.
- Commit to three years of service at an eligible Medicare-certified, Medicaid-certified, or dually certified long term care facility.