Student FAQ

Page updated January 28, 2025.

Account Access

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SEE A MESSAGE THAT SAYS MY INFORMATION DOES NOT MATCH WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SIGN IN OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT?

If you previously had an account with PHEAA or American Education Services (AES) but your name has since changed, you can ask us to update it. Send copies of two forms of identification by mail or fax.

Mail:
State Grant and Special Programs
P.O. Box 8157
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Fax: 717-720-3786

If your name did not change, first verify that your personal information was entered correctly and in the requested format. If you are still unable to sign in or create an online account, contact us at 1-800-692-7392, option 4.

IF MY NAME CHANGED, WHAT KIND OF IDENTIFICATION DO I NEED?

If your name has changed, we need copies of two forms of identification. Valid types of identification include:

  • Social Security card
  • Current driver's license
  • Birth certificate
  • Current State ID
  • U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
  • Court order
  • Marriage certificate
  • W-2 form
  • U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card (current or expired)
  • U.S. military discharge papers (form DD214)
  • U.S. Military Identification Card / DEERS enrollment (form DD1172-2)

NOTE: We cannot accept copies of your employer identification card.

WHAT IF I ATTEMPTED TO RESET MY PASSWORD OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT, BUT I DIDN'T GET A VERIFICATION CODE EMAIL?

First, check your junk or spam email folder. If you still can't find your verification code, we may be able to help.

To sign in to your account: Select Try Another Method at the sign-in screen. Enter your personal information when prompted.

To create an account: Contact us at 1-800-692-7392, option 4.

HOW DO I GET INTO MY ACCOUNT IF IT IS TEMPORARILY LOCKED?

Wait for the temporary lock to expire before attempting to access your account again. If you have been locked out for a long time, contact us at 1-800-692-7392, option 4.

WHAT IF I KEEP GETTING AN ERROR THAT SAYS SOMETHING WENT WRONG AND I CANNOT SIGN IN OR CREATE MY ACCOUNT?

Try to sign in or create an account using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge as your internet browser. If you still can't sign in or create an account, contact us at 1-800-692-7392, option 4.

Application

Where can I find an application for the PA Student Loan Relief for Nurses (SLRN) Program?

The deadline to submit an initial application was March 1, 2022.

Where can I find my employer's EIN?

Your employer's EIN (Employer Identification Number) or Tax ID can be found in Box B of your W-2 form.

What if the name on my SLRN application does not match the name associated with my nursing license?

Depending on the circumstance surrounding the name discrepancy, a copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order should be included with your SLRN application.

What if I have one student loan but it was made up of numerous disbursements, how should the “Loan Information” section of the application be completed?

If there are multiple disbursements under a loan, list only the first disbursement date and total current balance for that loan. PHEAA will contact you if updated information is needed on a previously submitted application.

What if I am still working at my employer, what end date should I use?

If you are still working for your employer, leave the “End Date” blank in the "Employer Information" section of the application.

Who is my loan servicer?

PHEAA is unable to provide you with the name of your loan servicer, contact the company you make loan payments to monthly.

HOW DO I UPDATE MY MAILING ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, OR EMAIL ADDRESS?

You can update your mailing address, phone number, and email address over the phone, via email, or by mail.

How do I contact PHEAA to confirm my application was received?

Due to the overwhelming response to the SLRN Program, PHEAA has received a high number of applications. Applications are being reviewed in the order they were received. An email confirmation of receipt has been sent to applicants that included a valid, legible email address on their application. If you did not receive an email confirmation, please check your spam, or junk folder and confirm that the email address provided on your application was legible and valid. If questions remain regarding receipt of your application, please contact us at 1-800-692-7392, option 4.

I JUST REALIZED THE APPLICATION I SUBMITTED CONTAINED INCORRECT INFORMATION, WHAT CAN I DO?

If an SLRN application is submitted with incorrect information, a corrected and complete application should be re-submitted. PHEAA will use the most recently submitted application when determining eligibility, provided the most recently submitted application is received by the deadline.

AFTER I SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT MY STUDENT LOANS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED TO A DIFFERENT SERVICER. DO I NEED TO SUBMIT ANOTHER APPLICATION?

If you have been selected for participation in the program and your loan servicer has changed since you submitted your application, you will be advised via postal mail of next steps at the time of selection.

The headquarters for the place I work is in a different state, but I work at the branch location in PA, which address should I put on the application?

If an applicant's employer is headquartered in a different state but the applicant is physically working at a branch location in PA, the address of the branch location in PA should be used for the employer's address on the application.

I DIDN'T KNOW THE DEADLINE WAS MARCH 1, 2022, CAN I SUBMIT A LATE APPLICATION?

No, you may not submit an application after the March 1, 2022 deadline. PHEAA may request you to resubmit an application because your on-time application was incomplete.

I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO RESUBMIT AN APPLICATION, WHERE DO I SUBMIT THE APPLICATION?

The quickest method to return your application is to fax it as one document to 717-720-3786. This is highly recommended to ensure you do not miss the deadline for resubmission.

You can also mail it to:

PHEAA
PA Student Loan Relief for Nurses Program
P.O. BOX 8157
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8157

Please note the time it takes to arrive via postal mail will not be considered if the application is received after the deadline.

I SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION, WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

PHEAA will review applications for eligibility. Applicants who are determined ineligible for participation in the program will be notified via postal mail and advised of next steps. As demand exceeds available funds, those determined eligible for participation in the program will move into the selection process. More information about the selection process can be found under the Selection Process section.

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Eligibility

WHAT YEARS CAN I RECEIVE STUDENT LOAN RELIEF?

SLRN awards may be disbursed for 2020, 2021, and 2022, depending on your eligibility for each year.

What type of nurse is eligible for the SLRN Program?

Applicant must be a nurse providing patient care and hold one of the following licenses:

  • Registered Nurse (RN)
  • License Practical Nurse (LPN)
  • Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP)
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
  • Certified Nurse Midwife (RN)
What is considered a qualifying nursing facility?

A qualified nursing facility is defined as a practice site located within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that provides nursing care directly to patients.

Examples of qualifying nursing facilities include but are not limited to assisted living residences, home care agencies, home health care agencies, hospitals, living independence for the elderly programs, long-term care facilities, personal care homes, pre-K through 12 education facilities, primary health care facilities, postsecondary education facilities, correctional facilities, COVID-19 testing sites/centers, dialysis centers, Department of Health, drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities, hospices, outpatient facilities, urgent care facilities, pharmacies, rehabilitation centers, and private employers with onsite employee medical care.

Does unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons provided under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) count toward the required employment hours?

Yes. Unpaid leave due to medical and/or family reasons provided under FMLA will count toward the required 1,250 hours across the qualifying 12-month calendar year.

What if I work part time for several employers?

Part-time employment for several employers during a calendar year can be combined to be considered full-time employment as long as the combined hours equal at least 1,250 hours across the qualifying calendar year.

Is a traveling nurse eligible?

Yes. A traveling nurse is eligible provided their employment is certified by an employer located within the Commonwealth of PA and the majority of their travel territory is certified within the Commonwealth of PA.

What if I change jobs?

If your place of employment changed during the qualifying calendar year, each employer will be required to certify you met the eligibility requirements during the time period you were employed.

What if I move out of Pennsylvania?

Participation in the SLRN Program requires nurses to be residents of Pennsylvania. If you no longer reside in Pennsylvania, you will no longer be eligible to receive the financial incentive.

What is considered qualifying student loan debt?

Qualifying student loans include both federal and private education student loans. Student loans must be in good standing as of the date of the application and date of the annual relief payment with the exception of those which entered default during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can this student loan relief be used for my private education loans?

Yes. Both private education and federal student loans are considered qualifying student loans. However, Parent PLUS loans are not eligible.

How will a student loan relief payment be received?

If you are selected and certified for participation in the SLRN Program, payments made on your outstanding student loan balances will be made payable directly to your loan servicers.

What if I consolidated my loans?

Many consolidated loans are eligible for SLRN Program if, the underlying loans were taken out for the purposes of participating in a nursing program. Parent loans, joint consolidation (spousal loans), and consolidation loans containing non-educational funding sources are ineligible. If you are unsure if your loan qualifies, provide your loan information in the "Loan Information" section of the application and if selected for participation in the program, PHEAA will verify loan eligibility with your servicer.

MY SPOUSE AND I CONSOLIDATED OUR STUDENT LOANS. THE CONSOLIDATED LOAN IS ONLY IN ONE OF OUR NAMES, WOULD WE BOTH POTENTIALLY BE ELIGIBLE OR JUST THE INDIVIDUAL WHOSE NAME THE LOAN IS IN?

Only the individual whose name is associated with the consolidated loan would potentially be eligible for the program.

What if I don't live in PA but am a licensed nurse working in PA, am I eligible for the SLRN program?
To be eligible, applicants must be domiciled in PA and must work as a licensed nurse in PA. Domicile is defined as a person's true, fixed, and permanent home.
I received a letter advising I was not eligible for participation in the program, is there anything I can do?

Refer to the instructions on the eligibility page regarding submission of supporting documentation.

I WAS SELECTED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM BUT RECEIVED A LETTER STATING I DO NOT MEET THE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?

Refer to the instructions on the eligibility page regarding submission of supporting documentation.

MY EMPLOYER HAS NOT COMPLETED MY EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATION FORM. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?

Eligibility for the SLRN Program cannot be finalized without certification of qualifying employment. As this information must come directly from an employer, we advise nurses to provide their employer with the due date when requesting completion of the form. This is to ensure employers understand completion and submission of the form is urgent and is linked directly to program eligibility for the nurse.

I CHANGED EMPLOYERS SINCE I APPLIED FOR THE PROGRAM. HOW DO I UPDATE THE EMPLOYER INFORMATION ON MY APPLICATION?

You do not need to update your employer information on your application. Selected nurses are required to have all of their employers complete and submit an Employment Certification Form to verify qualifying employment for each year (2020, 2021, or 2022) which will provide PHEAA with the update.

WHO SHOULD COMPLETE AND SIGN SECTION 2 OF MY EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATION FORM?

Provide the Employment Certification Form to an employer contact (for example: A supervisor, HR contact, or administrator) who can accurately answer the employment verification questions listed in Section 2 of the form.

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Employer

WHAT IF THE NURSE WAS NEVER EMPLOYED AT OUR COMPANY?

If a nurse listed on the ECL was never employed at your company, indicate this information on the ECL by leaving the employment begin and end dates blank, select N for working 1250 hours per year, and enter 0 for the number of hours worked.

CAN YOU PROVIDE A DEFINITION OF “COVID-19 IMPACT” AS INDICATED ON THE ECL?

The SLRN program is designed to reward and incentivize patient-facing duties which nurses across the Commonwealth have been performing throughout the pandemic. Nurses who qualify for this relief have been impacted by the following while providing patient care:

  • Working overtime
  • Extended hours
  • Shift changes
  • Navigating vaccine or personal protection equipment requirements
  • Elevated stress levels

Working in a billing office, performing lab work that is not patient facing, and supervisory duties not performed in patient areas are all examples of work which does not qualify.

CAN TIME SPENT ON FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA) COUNT TOWARD HOURS WORKED? WHAT ABOUT PAID TIME OFF (PTO)?

Nurses who used PTO (including paid sick leave, vacation time, or personal days) can count those hours toward their total hours worked for SLRN. Unpaid leave used under FMLA is also eligible.

A NURSE TRAVELED FOR WORK OR WORKED AT AN OUT OF STATE LOCATION MANAGED BY A PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYER/ORGANIZATION/FACILITY. HOW IS THAT DOCUMENTED?

Nurses who worked at a qualifying facility in PA for the majority of the calendar year retain their eligibility for SLRN. Include hours worked as a travel nurse under the PA employer, as well as time spent stationed at an out-of-state facility under a PA headquartered organization. As long as the majority of the hours were worked in PA, the nurse's hours are eligible.

A NURSE STARTED WITH THEIR EMPLOYER UNDER A TEMPORARY PRACTICE PERMIT (TPP) OR AS A “GRADUATE NURSE.” THEY HAVE SINCE OBTAINED THEIR FULL LICENSE (RN, LPN, ETC.). CAN THE EMPLOYER COUNT MONTHS COVERED BY THE TPP TOWARD HOURS WORKED FOR SLRN?

Yes. Graduate nurses and those working with a TPP may have their hours counted toward SLRN. Include those hours when calculating hours worked. We will verify their license status prior to issuing any payment.

HOW SHOULD AN EMPLOYER DOCUMENT A NURSE WHO LEFT AN EMPLOYER BUT CAME BACK TO THE SAME FACILITY?

List all Dates Employment Began and Dates Employment Ended for each applicable year for nurses who left an employer and then returned at a later date. Also be sure that the hours worked reflect only the hours included for the specific employer who is completing the form.

IF THE NURSE WORKED IN PATIENT CARE FOR PART OF THE YEAR, BUT ALSO WORKED OUTSIDE OF PATIENT CARE (FOR EXAMPLE, BILLING OFFICE) FOR ANOTHER PART OF THE YEAR, HOW SHOULD I COMPLETE THE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED QUESTION?

Select No and indicate the number of hours the nurse performed patient-facing duties for each year the nurse was employed at your facility.

WHAT DOES PHEAA NEED EMPLOYERS TO SEND TO CERTIFY A NURSE'S EMPLOYMENT?

Employers must complete Section 2 of the Employment Certification Form and return to PHEAA with Section 1 completed by the nurse. The Employment Certification Form must be sent from the employer's organizational email address.

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Selection

How are candidates selected for participation?

Since the number of eligible applicants has exceeded available funding, the award process will randomly select eligible applicants in a manner that ensures geographic distribution across the state.

Learn more about the Selection Process.

How will I be notified that I have been selected to receive loan relief through the program?

Applicants will be sent communication throughout the entire process of applying for the SLRN Program. However, communication concerning selection into the program will not be sent until the application deadline has passed and recipient selection has been completed.

If I am eligible and selected, do I still need to make payments on my loans?

Participation in the SLRN Program does not change an applicant's obligation to remain current and in good standing with their loan servicers. Applicants are encouraged to contact their loan servicers with any questions regarding continued payments while enrolled in the SLRN Program.

I WAS SELECTED FOR THE SLRN PROGRAM BUT NO LONGER WANT TO RECEIVE STUDENT LOAN RELIEF. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

If you want to decline participation in the SLRN program, send a self-certifying statement stating:

  • You were a nurse selected for the SLRN program
  • You want to decline participation in the program
  • You understand that withdrawing from the program means you are no longer eligible to receive student loan relief through SLRN
  • Your reason for declining to participate in SLRN

The self-certifying statement must include your:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Social Security number (SSN) or account number
  • Dated signature

We recommended that you upload your self-certifying statement directly to PHEAA, using our file upload feature. Sign in to Account Access or create an account if you do not already have one. Open the file upload feature and select PA Special Programs as the reason for your upload with PA Student Loan Relief for Nurses as the category. You can also submit your self-certifying statement by email to slrn@pheaa.org or by fax to 717-720-3786.

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Payments

How will I know that an SLRN payment has been made on my student loan?

Communication will be sent to applicants who are approved to receive student loan relief advising that a payment will be scheduled to their student loan servicers. Additionally, communication will be sent once payment has been sent to their loan servicer. Applicants are encouraged to follow up with their loan servicers with any questions regarding payments made to their accounts.

If you are making a lump sum payment for me, will this impact other repayment program/loan forgiveness/loan discharge