§ 9-2-123 — Wyoming investment in nursing loan and grant program; eligibility criteria; procedures

(a) There is created the Wyoming investment in nursing
program administered by the Wyoming community college commission
created under W.S. 21-18-201. The program shall be known as the
WYIN program. Applicants shall be residents of this state or
graduates of a Wyoming high school and may apply for loans from
the WYIN program in accordance with this section.
(b) To qualify for a loan under the WYIN program, the
applicant shall first:
(i) Be accepted into a nursing education program at a
Wyoming community college, the University of Wyoming, or, in the
case of a candidate for a doctoral degree, an institution
providing the required nursing education courses under contract
with the western interstate commission for higher education or
in a distance nursing education program at a university that is
regionally accredited; and
(ii) Apply for federal financial assistance and any
employer-based financial assistance for which the applicant may
be eligible. Wyoming community colleges shall allow students
who apply for admission into an approved nurse aide training or
nursing education program, and who will enroll in fewer than six
(6) academic credit hours, to apply for federal financial
assistance.
(c) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for
this program, loans under the WYIN program may be granted to
applicants enrolled or planning to enroll in nursing education
programs as follows:
(i) An applicant who is accepted into a Wyoming
licensed practical nurse or registered nursing education program
or a baccalaureate degree program in nursing may be eligible for
a loan to pay the unmet need, as determined by the Wyoming
community college commission or its designee, of attendance at
the licensed practical nursing education program or the
registered nursing education program leading to an associate's
or baccalaureate degree;
(ii) A registered nurse with a baccalaureate degree
who holds an unencumbered license with the Wyoming board of
nursing and is accepted into a nursing education program at the
University of Wyoming leading to a master's degree or doctorate
level degree in nursing or nursing education may be eligible for
a loan to pay the unmet need of attendance, as determined by the
Wyoming community college commission or its designee, provided
that in order to receive a loan for either program, the
applicant shall agree to repay the loan by teaching nursing at a
Wyoming community college or the University of Wyoming. If the
applicant registered nurse is not accepted into a nursing
education program at the University of Wyoming and upon approval
of the Wyoming community college commission, the applicant
registered nurse may be accepted into an accredited nursing
education program at a university located outside of the state.
Loans awarded for applicants accepted into programs outside of
Wyoming shall not exceed the loan amounts available for programs
at the University of Wyoming;
(iii) A registered nurse with a master's degree in
nursing who holds an unencumbered license with the Wyoming board
of nursing and is accepted into a nursing education program at
an institution providing the required nursing education courses
under contract with the western interstate commission for higher
education or in a distance nursing education program at a
university that is regionally accredited leading to a doctorate
level degree in nursing may be eligible for a loan to pay the
unmet need of attendance, as determined by the Wyoming community
college commission or its designee, provided that in order to
receive a loan for a doctorate level degree program, the
applicant shall agree to repay the loan by teaching nursing at a
Wyoming community college or the University of Wyoming.
(d) A loan provided under this section shall not exceed
the cost of attendance for the approved program, reduced by the
amount of any Pell or other federal grant and any employer-based
financial assistance received by the applicant.
(e) A recipient of a WYIN loan under this section may
repay the loan without cash payment by working in Wyoming as a
nurse or nurse educator as provided in subsection (f) of this
section. To qualify as repayment under this subsection, and
except for graduate students as provided under subsection (q) of
this section, work shall be performed within the following time
periods which begin with the calendar month following the month
in which the student completed the academic program:
(i) If the loan can be repaid with work of two (2)
years or less, within three (3) years;
(ii) If the loan can be repaid with work of greater
than two (2) years, but no more than four (4) years, within five
(5) years;
(iii) If the loan can be repaid with work of greater
than four (4) years, within the amount of time the loan could be
repaid, plus two (2) years.
(f) Qualified work under subsection (e) of this section
shall be credited so that the student's loan balance is reduced
on the basis of one (1) year of full-time employment repaying
the loan balance for one (1) academic year of full-time
enrollment, or twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00) of the loan,
whichever is less. Qualified work shall be credited on a
proportional basis.
(g) Any recipient of a WYIN loan who fails:
(i) To complete the academic program for which the
loan was provided shall commence cash repayment of the loan no
later than forty-five (45) days after the recipient leaves the
academic program;
(ii) To obtain employment in the targeted occupation
for which the person received the education within ninety (90)
days after successfully passing the appropriate certification or
licensure examination shall commence cash repayment of the loan
within one hundred twenty (120) days after successfully passing
the appropriate certification or licensure examination;
(iii) The appropriate certification or licensure
examination on the first attempt may retake the examination at
the next available opportunity before commencing repayment of
the loan. The recipient shall notify the Wyoming community
college commission or its contractor of the intent to retake the
examination and the date the examination will be taken. Any
recipient of a WYIN loan who fails the examination after the
second attempt shall commence cash repayment of the loan within
forty-five (45) days after receipt of notification of the second
failure by the board of nursing. If the recipient of a WYIN loan
who fails the examination on the first attempt does not retake
the examination at the next available opportunity, cash
repayment shall commence within forty-five (45) days after the
next available examination is conducted.
(h) Loan repayment options under this section may be
deferred for a period not to exceed four (4) years while a loan
recipient is serving on full-time active duty with any branch of
the military services of the United States.
(j) The Wyoming community college commission shall have
the powers and duties specified in W.S. 21-18-202 to implement
this section and shall establish terms and conditions of loans
issued under this section, including:
(i) Interest rates and loan terms;
(ii) The form and process for loan application,
review and award;
(iii) Criteria under which students may be relieved
from having to repay loans and interest thereon, in whole or in
part, where the requirement to repay would cause undue hardship.
(k) Funding of the loan program established under this
section shall be by appropriation of the legislature. The
Wyoming community college commission shall transfer approved
loan amounts to the University of Wyoming and to Wyoming
community colleges at which loan recipients are enrolled. In
consultation with the university and affected community
colleges, the commission shall establish procedures for
transferring loan amounts and for reporting requirements on the
expenditure of transferred loan amounts.
(m) Cash repayment of loans and interest thereon shall be
credited to the general fund.
(n) The Wyoming community college commission shall
annually review the loan program established under this section
and report to the governor and the legislature in accordance
with W.S. 9-2-1014, regarding program results, funds received
and loans issued during the preceding academic year, together
with the status of all outstanding loan commitments and
repayments under the program.
(o) Repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 60, § 2.
(p) For the purposes of this section:
(i) Any person beginning a nursing education program
as authorized by this section shall continue to receive funding
for the program so long as the person remains eligible as
required by this section;
(ii) Repayment of loans provided under this section
shall continue as specified in this section until all loan
obligations have been satisfied.
(q) A recipient of a WYIN loan under this section and
attending a master's or doctorate nursing level program may
begin loan repayment through qualified work as authorized under
subsections (e) and (f) of this section concurrently with
enrollment in the nursing education program, subject to the
following:
(i) If the recipient is enrolled in a master's
nursing degree program, the recipient shall perform qualified
work for not less than one (1) year following completion of the
education program;
(ii) If the recipient is enrolled in a doctorate
nursing degree program, the recipient shall perform qualified
work for not less than two (2) years following completion of the
education program.