Nurses and nursing students can now apply for up to $40,000 in student loan repayment, plus a $10,000 stipend, in exchange for a three-year commitment to work in a qualifying nursing home, under a new $275 million nationwide initiative from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative, announced October 23, opened its application portal today, October 26. It is expected to support more than 4,000 nurses and nursing students nationwide.

The program is funded entirely through civil monetary penalties collected from nursing homes, not taxpayer dollars, with CMS committing $100 million and states committing at least an additional $175 million. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are participating, including New Jersey.

To qualify, applicants must hold an active RN or LPN/LVN license when they begin employment, work at least 30 hours per week at a qualifying nursing home, and commit to three years of service at an eligible Medicare or Medicaid certified long-term care facility. Those with eligible student loan debt can receive loan repayment, while recent graduates without loan debt, within two years of graduation, can qualify for the stipend.

Eligible facilities include all rural nursing homes plus additional facilities in higher labor-shortage areas. Applicants generally must not have worked in a nursing home for at least 60 days before applying, though during the first 90 days of the initiative, through January 24, 2027, an exception applies to nurses who began working in an eligible nursing home between July 28 and October 25, 2026.

With Lakewood home to a sizable healthcare workforce, local nurses and nursing students may find the program a significant opportunity. Interested applicants can review eligibility requirements, open an account, and find open positions at eligible nursing homes at nursesfornursinghomes.cms.gov.