Mississippi

In an effort to address the nursing faculty shortage and increase enrollment into graduate programs with a focus in education, colleges and universities are offering special scholarships, loans, and other types of financial assistance to registered nurses choosing to pursue a teaching career.

One example of the loan programs available to graduate nursing students is the federally funded Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP). Students who qualify for this type of loan pay only twenty-five percent of the total graduate program cost if they agree to work as nursing faculty for five years after graduation. Before they choose a graduate school, prospective students need to contact colleges and universities and ask about possible funds, scholarships, and assistantship programs.

Depending on each school's protocol, some funds are given based on financial need, others based on merit or academic achievement, and some based on student potential. Some states reserve financial aid funds for students who agree to become educators and teach at nursing colleges throughout that state. The Nursing Teacher Stipend Program is given to students pursuing either a master in nursing degree (MSN) or a PhD in nursing education degree as long as they work as nursing faculty at an accredited nursing school in Mississippi upon graduation.