RI Nurses, Nursing Students Could Qualify for Up to $50K to Work in Nursing Homes

Announced October 25, new Nationwide program includes Rhode Island, with incentives tied to a three-year commitment at qualifying facilities

Nurses and nursing students could qualify for up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and a $10,000 stipend under a new federal-state initiative aimed at filling nursing home positions in rural communities and areas with nursing shortages.

The $275 million Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative, announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is expected to support more than 4,000 nurses nationwide.

All 50 states, including Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia are participating. Eligibility depends on both the applicant’s qualifications and the nursing home where they work.

CMS is committing $100 million, with states contributing at least another $175 million. Funding comes from civil monetary penalties collected from nursing homes by CMS and states.

The initiative directs those funds toward nurses who provide hands-on resident care, with the goal of recruiting more nurses into long-term care and encouraging them to stay.

Who qualifies?

The program is open to eligible registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical or vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs). Participants must:

• Hold an active nursing license when their qualifying employment begins.
• Work an average of at least 30 hours per week at an eligible nursing home.
• Commit to three years of service at a qualifying Medicare- or Medicaid-certified long-term care facility.
• Have qualifying student loan debt to receive loan repayment assistance. Nurses without qualifying debt must have graduated within the past two years to qualify for the stipend.

Eligible nurses with qualifying student loan debt may receive both benefits, for a maximum of $50,000. Nursing students can begin an application before graduation but must become licensed and secure qualifying employment before they can qualify.

A timing rule applicants should review

Generally, applicants must not have worked in a nursing home during the 60 days before opening an application account and beginning an application.

A temporary exception applies during the initiative’s first 90 days, October 26, 2026, through January 24, 2027. During that period, otherwise eligible RNs and LPNs/LVNs who began working at a qualifying nursing home between July 28 and October 25, 2026, may participate.

Which nursing homes are eligible?

CMS says all rural nursing facilities are eligible, along with additional facilities in areas with greater nursing workforce shortages.

Rhode Island’s participation does not mean every nursing home in the state qualifies. Applicants should check the program’s facility listings before accepting a position based on the incentive.

How payments and applications work

Payments are made quarterly, directly to participating nurses, after their work hours are verified. Nurses receiving loan repayment assistance are responsible for applying those payments to their student loans.

The payments are taxable, and taxes are not withheld.

CMS says applications will be accepted throughout 2026 and 2027, with incentives awarded on a first-come, first-served basis as funding remains available in each state.

Nursing students, recent graduates and licensed nurses can review requirements, begin an application and find qualifying job listings at NursesForNursingHomes.cms.gov.

Clarification

Eligibility could be confusing, even as written here. So…

Generally, applicants must not have worked in any nursing home during the 60 days before opening their program application account, so current nursing home employees cannot simply switch facilities to receive the incentive. A temporary exception allows otherwise eligible nurses hired by a qualifying nursing home between July 28 and October 25, 2026, to apply during the program’s first 90 days, October 26, 2026, through January 24, 2027.

Local

The program’s online job board currently lists 2,882 positions currently, nationwide, including numerous openings in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Readers can search by city, position or facility name, not state name.

Additional information is available in the CMS frequently asked questions.