Eligible registered nursing and respiratory therapy students can apply for up to $40,000 in loan repayment through a program requiring three years of full-time work at UM Health-Sparrow after graduation and licensure.
Scholars Network announced the UM Health-Sparrow Scholars Program in an Oct. 20 release. WILX reported on the program Oct. 22.
The program targets students enrolled in prelicensure registered nursing or respiratory therapy degree programs, according to the program’s website.
Accepted applicants sign a Scholar Agreement. Repayment support follows graduation, licensure and the start of full-time employment. Program details depend on available roles and the health system’s hiring needs.
The health system said the program aims to address a growing shortage of nurses and respiratory therapists in the region.
"Launching this program is one way we're taking ownership of that by investing earlier and more intentionally in the people who will deliver care in the years ahead," Kathleen Marble, chief nursing officer at UM Health-Sparrow Lansing, said in the announcement.
Sherry Pfaff-Doody, UM Health-Sparrow's director of talent acquisition, said in the release that the program lets the health system connect with future clinicians earlier and reduce financial barriers to entering the field.
The program is run through Scholars Network, a platform operated by the company Noodle that partners with health systems and universities. Sam Maron, Scholars Network's founder, said in the release that workforce challenges begin when students are deciding whether they can afford a clinical career, not at the point of hire.
The number of available slots and whether any students have enrolled were not included in the announcement. The press release also did not name which specific schools or degree programs are eligible partners.
Eligible students can find more information and apply through the Scholars Network website.
