Service Obligations
Recipients of the West Virginia Nursing Scholarship Program must complete a service obligation for each award they receive, or they will be required to repay the award.
Each recipient of a West Virginia Nursing Scholarship Program must fulfill a service obligation for each award received. Failure to meet this requirement will result in repayment of the award.
To satisfy the service obligation, recipients must secure employment at an eligible site within six months of graduation to avoid repayment. Additionally, recipients must verify their service through the employment verification process. Employment placement and submission of verification for approval are the sole responsibility of the recipient.
LPN Recipients
LPN award recipients must complete one year of service for each year they receive an award. Employment must require a valid LPN license and be classified as full-time.
The full-time requirement may be satisfied through multiple positions, provided the combined work hours total at least 36 hours per week.
LPN Teaching Certificate Recipients
LPN teaching certificate recipients must complete one year of service for each year they receive an award. Their service must be as a nursing educator at an LPN program in West Virginia and classified as full-time.
The full-time requirement may be satisfied through multiple positions, provided the combined work hours total at least 36 hours per week and at least part of the work must be as a nursing educator at a West Virginia LPN program.
RN Recipients (ASN, BSN, and RN-BSN)
RN award recipients must complete two years of service for each year they receive an award. Employment must require a valid RN license and be classified as full-time.
Full-time status can be met through multiple positions, as long as the total equivalent work hours equal 36 hours or more per week.
Master’s and Doctoral Recipients
Graduate-level nursing recipients must complete two years of service for each year they receive an award. Their service must be as a nursing educator at a West Virginia school of nursing and classified as full-time.
The full-time requirement may be met through multiple positions, but at least part-time employment must be as a nursing educator at a West Virginia school of nursing.
Importantly, the service obligation only begins after graduation, meaning work completed during the graduate program does not count toward fulfilling the requirement.
Service Obligation Verification and Compliance
Licensure and Employment Requirement
Scholarship recipients are expected to gain licensure and begin employment within six months of their stated graduation date. Initial employment verification must also begin within this timeframe.
Employment Verification Process and Schedule
Recipients must annually verify their service obligation by submitting employment verification forms until their obligation is complete. Timely submission is essential to prevent the account from entering repayment status.
All necessary forms are available in the Forms section of the program website.
Recipients are required to submit forms annually in the anniversary month of their service obligation date. This date will vary from recipient to recipient. Recipients who were not employed prior to gaining licensure at their workplace will have their service obligation begin in the month they begin working. Recipients who were employed at a workplace prior to gaining licensure will have their service obligation begin the month they graduate from the nursing program they receive the award for.
Example Service Obligation Employment Verification Process
- Sally Ann graduates from her RN program on 6/15/2024.
- She is expected to gain licensure and begin working by 12/15/2024.
- She passes the NCLEX and starts employment on 8/15/2024.
- Sally Ann submits her first verification form on the day she starts working on 8/15/2024.
- She submits additional employment verification forms in August 2025 and August 2026 to fulfill the service verification requirements for her West Virginia Nursing Scholarship award.
Employment Changes and Verification
If a recipient changes employers while completing their service obligation, they must submit:
- A employment verification form from the former employer stating their start and end dates.
- A employment verification form from the new employer indicating their start date.
- Additional employment verification forms for any employers they had between their former employer and new employer if applicable.
Temporary Deferment for Further Education
Recipients who return to school and cannot continue full-time employment may request a temporary deferment of their service obligation.
To apply for deferment, a temporary deferment request form must be submitted. The service obligation will resume after graduation.
To obtain credit towards the service obligation for work completed prior to going to part-time employment or quitting due to school, recipients within this situation should also submit an employment verification form that lists their end date as the date they are no longer working full-time.
Proportional Forgiveness for Partial Service Obligation Completion
Recipients who begin their service obligation but later decide not to complete the full requirement due to out-of-state employment may receive partial forgiveness of their award.
- Forgiveness is based on the portion of the service obligation completed.
- Example: Completing six months of a one-year obligation allows 50% of the award to be forgiven.
- To request proportional forgiveness, recipients must:
- Submit employment verification showing their end date.
- Send an email to nursing@wvhepc.edu, explaining the request.
If a recipient fails to provide verification that they are meeting the service obligation requirements, they are required to repay the principal and any accrued interest on the award amount. Repayment begins within six months of graduating or dropping below half-time status and must be completed within 10 years. All repayments are managed by Heartland ECSI. If your account is turned over to collections, repayments will be handled by Conserve or Williams and Fudge. To repay your award, please contact the appropriate servicer to set up an account and make payment arrangements.
If you are late in submitting the required employment verification, you may receive a bill. If you receive a bill but are fulfilling the obligation, submit an employment verification form as soon as possible to avoid your account remaining in repayment.