Exit Interview
Federal regulations require that borrowers complete exit counseling for loans received through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program.
You should receive a request from Heartland ECSI, our billing servicer, to complete your nurse faculty loan exit interview. If you fail to receive the request, please get in touch with the Student Loan Office directly via email at @email or call 413-545-2368
Deferment, Postponement, and Forbearance
NFLP borrowers are only eligible for deferment of their loans for the reasons listed below.
It is important to note that interest continues to accrue during deferment periods. The accrued interest can be paid during or after the deferment period ends. Qualifying circumstances include active duty NFLP borrowers and Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.). Students.
A Nurse Faculty Loan may be postponed instead of payment by the repayment schedule established by the school from which the loan was made only if the borrower is employed full-time as a faculty member at a school of nursing and expects to claim partial cancellation of his or her loan at the end of each complete year of such employment.
If a borrower with a Nurse Faculty Loan is experiencing either poor health or financial hardship, the borrower may request a forbearance to loan repayments. Forbearance is limited to situations in which the borrower clearly intends to repay the NFLP loan obligation but is temporarily unable to comply with the existing repayment schedule.
During periods of forbearance, the borrower's obligation to make payments on interest and principal may be reduced or eliminated. Although payments may be temporarily delayed, interest continues to accrue on the outstanding principal balance.
The Request For Forbearance Application Form must be completed and returned to the school with the requested documentation. The school can grant forbearance for up to 6 months at a time for 12 months. Any requests beyond 12 months must be directly approved by HHS.
Periods of forbearance are not excluded from the borrower's 10-year repayment schedule.
Cancellation
The Public Health Service Act authorizes cancellation of up to 85% of NFLP loans for borrowers who are employed full-time as nurse faculty for four (4) consecutive years.
If you are employed full-time as a faculty nurse at a nursing school, you may be eligible for partial cancellation of your Nurse Faculty loan. Please submit this application to us at the end of each complete year of full-time employment. If you take a break from a full-time job as a nurse faculty, the borrower is not eligible for loan cancellation and must begin repayment of the NFLP loan immediately.
If you are employed full-time as a faculty nurse at a nursing school and will request partial cancellation of the loan at the end of each complete year of employment, you may also request a postponement of installment payments on the loan. Submit the Request for Postponement of Installment Payment Form (listed under the Postponement section of this page) to the University at the beginning of each year of employment.
Section 846A of the Public Health Service Act authorizes cancellation of up to 85% of Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) loans for borrowers employed full-time as nurse faculty for four consecutive years.
- The borrower may cancel 20% of the principal and the interest on the amount of the unpaid loan balance upon completion of the first, second, and third year of full-time employment as nurse faculty.
- 25% of the principal and the interest on the amount of the unpaid loan balance upon completion of the fourth year of full-time employment as nurse faculty.
- The 15% principal balance and interest accrued at 3% annually must be repaid within 6 years.
- NFLP borrowers are limited to a 12-month timeframe to establish employment as full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing following graduation from the program.
- If employment verification is not submitted within 12 months, the borrower will not be eligible for the cancellation.
Discharge
In the event of a borrower’s death, the loan can be canceled in full upon receipt of a certified death certificate. The certified death certificate should be mailed to the Student Loan Office. A borrower may also apply for discharge of the NFLP loan by reason in the event the borrower becomes totally and permanently disabled.
Eligibility
In the event of a borrower's death, the loan can be canceled in full upon receipt of a certified death certificate. The certified death certificate should be mailed to the following address:
UMass Amherst
Loan Receivables
Bursar's Office
215 Whitmore Building
181 Presidents Drive
Amherst, MA 01003
Upon receipt of the certified death certificate, the University will submit a copy of the documentation to the Division of Nursing in Rockville, MD. The Secretary of Health and Human Services or a designee will cancel the loan's unpaid principal balance and interest and formally notify the University of the Secretary's decision.
Eligibility
If a Nurse Faculty Loan Program borrower becomes totally and permanently disabled, the borrower may be entitled to cancel any remaining payments due on the loan.
Permanent and total disability is defined as the borrower being unable to engage in gainful employment of any kind because of a medically determined impairment that is expected to continue for a long and indefinite period or to result in death.
To claim cancellation for disability, a borrower must submit a formal request to the University along with the following documentation:
- date entered and date graduated, or date studies terminated
- the total amount of NFLP loans obtained
- amount of unpaid balance
- nature and date of onset of the disability
- employment history before disability
- statement of financial support
- current medical examination and/or treatment
Please get in touch with the University directly at @email to obtain the forms necessary to make a formal request for total and permanent disability.
Important
Although the borrower must provide supporting documentation to the University, permission to cancel the outstanding NFLP loans based on total and permanent disability remains with Health and Human Services.