Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) applauded the decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to award $47,706 under the Nurse faculty Loan Program for Eastern Michigan University (EMU). This funding, which was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will enable EMU to provide loans to many of its nursing students. These funds go to schools of nursing to support the training of 500 masters and doctoral nursing students who plan to become nurse faculty after completing their education. Following graduation, loan recipients may cancel up to 85 percent of the loan principal and interest in exchange for four years of service as a full-time nursing faculty at a school of nursing.

“I want to thank the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration for this much needed investment in our state,” Dingell said. “At a time when there is already a nursing shortage in Michigan, it is important to take the steps to ensure that more nurses will be trained at our colleges and universities in Southeast Michigan. However, in order to train more nurses we must have the faculty to do so. I have heard too many stories from administrators at universities in Southeast Michigan who have had to turn away excellent nursing candidates solely because they did not have enough faculty to accommodate them. It is my hope that this will help EMU train the next generation of nurses and ensure that the health care needs of the people in the region will continue to be met.”