In an effort to help reduce the nursing shortage in New Jersey, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) is continuing its Nursing Faculty Loan Redemption Program.
The program offers up to $10,000 a year – a total of $50,000 – for both full- and part-time faculty who teach nursing courses at a variety of universities across the state and who have degrees from approved universities, including Camden Community College and its Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing.
According to a report by the the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing, it was projected in 2024 that there would be a 10% shortage of registered nurses and a 7% shortage of licensed practical nurses this year across the country. A 25% shortage of registered nurses is projected for 2036.
Camden County has a relatively high demand for registered nurses, reports say. Alexia Reigada, acting media relations coordinator at Camden County College, said the institution has one teaching assistant who participates in the loan redemption program, along with someone enrolled in the Pay It Forward program, which provides assistance with job training.
Reigada said the reason only one person is participating in the program at the college is because “it comes down to the combination of eligibility factors and the individual’s choice to complete the program application.”
Last year, the loan redemption program was offered to part-time faculty at a reduced rate, with those teaching 18 to 23 credits earning up to $8,000, and those notching three to 17 credits receiving up to $5,000 each year. The program has $825,000 available this year, compared with $1.625 million last year.
Despite the funds, there were only 32 participants in the program as of fiscal year 2025, even though it’s been offered since 2013 and has distributed a total of $542,559 to 22 participants. In the first year of the program, there was only one new participant; in 2017 and 2021, there were none.
In the 2025 fiscal year, HESAA received 35 applications, with 26 individuals offered a contract and nine rejected due to “program guidelines.” The number of applicants in the last fiscal year was more than the total applicants during the previous decade.
Required yearly reports completed before 2024 acknowledged the deficiencies.
“(It) may not be possible for HESAA to determine the effect, if any, on filling vacant nursing faculty positions in the state,” the reports concluded.
Because of the changes in the law in 2024 that expanded access to part-time teachers, the most recent report states that “the overly restrictive eligibility requirements created significant barriers for applicants.”
In a press release, Gov. Mikie Sherrill praised the program.
“Addressing workforce shortages with innovative solutions is key to ensuring the success of our communities and our state as a whole,” she noted. “By alleviating the student loan debt of faculty members who agree to teach aspiring nurses, this program helps close gaps in New Jersey’s nursing workforce so more residents can access the health care they need.”
Applications are open through March 2.
