17 Ky. Admin. Regs. 1:030

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 6, December 1, 2024

Section 17 KAR 1:030 - Nurse Loan Repayment Program

RELATES TO: KRS 18A.190, 40.320, 314.011

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 40.325(2) authorizes state veterans' nursing homes. KRS 40.327(1) and (5) requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs (KDVA) and the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) to create a Veterans' Affairs Nurse Loan Repayment Program (VANLRPP) for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses within the Department's employ. KRS 40.327(6) requires administrative regulations necessary to operate this program. This administrative regulation establishes the eligibility requirements, the application process, the selection criteria, and the award process for the Nurse Loan Repayment Program.

Section 1. Definitions.

(1) "Full time" means working at least a forty (40) hour work week every week of the year, except for authorized and approved leave and holidays as established in KRS 18A.190.

(2) "Licensed practical nurse" is defined by KRS 314.011(9).

(3) "Registered nurse" is defined by:

(a)KRS 314.011(5); and

(b) Does not include nurse practitioners.

(4) "Satisfactory employment" means employment in which the applicant does not have disciplinary or corrective actions during the year being certified and in which the applicant is not currently on a performance improvement plan at the time the application is submitted.

Section 2. Eligibility Requirements. To be eligible to apply for the program, an applicant shall:

(1) Have a current Kentucky license as a registered nurse (RN) or as a licensed practical nurse (LPN);

(2) Be currently employed as an RN or LPN on a full-time basis at a Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs' state veteran nursing home;

(3) Be a classified employee with status under KRS Chapter 18A; and

(4) Have completed at least one (1) year of full-time, satisfactory employment performance as an RN or LPN at a KDVA's state veteran nursing home in the year preceding the application; and

(5) If applying for loan repayment more than once, each application shall be consecutive to the prior application up to a maximum of four (4) consecutive applications and up to a maximum loan repayment for four (4) successful, consecutive applications of no more than $40,000.

(6) An applicant shall not have other unsatisfied contractual service obligations upon completing the Contract Between Nurse Loan Repayment Applicant and the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.

(7) An applicant shall not have an active military obligation.

Section 3. Application Process. Each eligible applicant shall complete a Veterans Affairs Nurse Loan Repayment Program (VANLRP) Application and submit:

(1) The Veterans Affairs Nurse Loan Repayment (VANLRP) Application between January 1 and March 31;

(2) Documentation required to be attached to the Veterans Affairs Nurse Loan Repayment (VANLRP) application, including:

(a) A professional experience narrative;

(b) Educational loan debt information; and

(c) A copy of a current, valid Kentucky Nursing License;

(3) One (1) copy of the KRS Chapter 18A annual performance evaluation, if any, which the applicant received for the immediate prior calendar year.

Section 4. Selection Process.

(1) The selection panel shall consist of the executive director of the Office of Kentucky Veterans Centers (OKVC), the deputy executive director of OKVC, and the administrator of the state veterans nursing home where the applicant is employed.

(2) Criteria for selection shall include:

(a) Availability of funding;

(b) The work performance of the applicant compared to other applicants; and

(c) The needs for additional nurses at the applicant's state veteran nursing home compared to the needs of the other state veterans nursing homes.

Section 5. Award Process.

(1) Upon the selection panel awarding an applicant a loan repayment, the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs shall issue an Award Letter to the applicant.

(2) The Award Letter shall state the amount of loan repayment of up to twenty-five (25) percent of the applicant's loan balance up to a maximum of $10,000 per application year.

(3) KDVA and the applicant shall enter into a binding contract stating the terms of the loan repayment on the Contract Between Nurse Loan Repayment Applicant and the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs document.

(4) OKVC shall notify the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority to implement the repayment and the Personnel Cabinet to process the taxable amount through employee payroll.

Section 6. Appeals. Denial by the selection panel shall not be considered a sanction and shall not be appealable.

Section 7. Incorporation by Reference.

(1) The following material is incorporated by reference:

(a) "Contract Between Nurse Loan Repayment Applicant and the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs", 2020;

(b) "Veterans Affairs Nurse Loan Repayment Program (VANLRP) Application", 2020; and

(c) "Award Letter", 2020.

(2) This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained at the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, 1111B Louisville Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

17 KAR 1:030

46 Ky.R. 3061; 47 Ky.R.521; eff. 11-19-2020.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 40.325(2), 40.327