CMS and States Unveil $275 Million Program to Attract and Retain Nursing Home Nurses

Category	Detail
Condition	Nursing home nurse workforce recruitment and retention
Key Mechanisms	Eligible participants may receive up to $40,000 toward student loans, a $10,000 stipend, or both, in exchange for a three-year service pledge.
Target Population	Nursing students, recent graduates, and licensed RNs, LPNs, and LVNs who meet program requirements.
Care Setting	Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes; eligibility covers all rural nursing facilities and additional facilities in areas experiencing greater labor shortages.

The $275 million Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative is funded by civil monetary penalties collected by CMS and states; CMS pledged $100 million and states at least $175 million.
The initiative is projected to assist more than 4,000 nurses and includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Eligible participants may receive up to $40,000 toward student loans, a $10,000 stipend, or both.
Eligibility covers 100% of rural nursing facilities and additional facilities in areas experiencing greater labor shortages.
Participants must pledge to serve for three years at a qualifying long-term care facility certified by Medicare, Medicaid, or both.

The CMS program website allows nursing students, recent graduates, and licensed nurses to review eligibility requirements, create an account, identify vacancies, and learn how to apply.
At employment commencement, applicants must hold a currently valid RN, LPN, or LVN license and maintain employment of at least 30 hours per week at an eligible nursing home.
Applicants must have qualifying student loan debt or, if they have no qualifying debt, have graduated within the previous two years to receive a stipend.
Applicants must pledge to serve for three years at a qualifying long-term care facility certified by Medicare, Medicaid, or both.

The source states that staffing is included in CMS's Five Star Quality Rating System.

Except during the specified initial 90-day exception, applicants must not have worked in a nursing home during the 60 days before creating an account and beginning an application.
The initial 90-day exception, October 26, 2026, through January 24, 2027, applies to RNs and LPNs/LVNs who began work at an eligible nursing home from July 28 through October 25, 2026.

Not applicable; the program is intended for nursing students, recent graduates, and licensed nurses pursuing nursing-home work.

Eligible participants may receive up to $40,000 toward student loans, a $10,000 stipend, or both, in exchange for a three-year service pledge.

The source states that applicants must work at an eligible nursing home certified by Medicare, Medicaid, or both.
The source lists licensure, minimum weekly work hours, qualifying loan debt or recent-graduate status, and prior-employment requirements as eligibility criteria.
The CMS program website provides eligibility information, vacancy listings, and application information.