Ontario's Set To Give Up To 1,500 Nurse Graduates Their Money Back On Tuition & Here's Why
Up to 2,500 grads could be eligible by 2023.
Premier Doug Ford posing for a pic with some hospital staff at Humber River Hospital.
The Ontario government has announced a plan to refund tuition fees to some eligible nursing students.
In a news release posted on March 29, the Ontario government revealed its Plan to Stay Open, which details how the province will respond to the next public health crisis.
One of the key parts of the plan is the Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Act, 2022, which includes Ontario's plan to expand its health workforce.
Through the "Learn and Stay" grant, the Ontario government says it will invest millions of dollars to expand its Community Commitment Program for Nurses, allowing for up to 1,500 nurse graduates each year to receive full tuition reimbursement.
In order to get this reimbursement, graduates will have to commit to practice in an underserved community.
Then, in spring 2023, Ontario plans to open applications for up to 2,500 eligible students each year "who commit to stay in their region working in an underserved community for up to two years after graduating."
So, what will the reimbursement cover?
All eligible students will be able to be reimbursed for what they spent on books, tuition and other "direct educational costs."
According to the provincial government, there have been major health staff shortages in rural and northern communities of Ontario.
"In the years and decades to come, rural and northern communities will have access to a diverse and talented pool of graduates to serve in their communities and support local health care delivery that all Ontarians deserve," the government release says.
On top of this, the Ontario government announced it is planning to make PSW wage raises permanent as well as give some eligible full-time nurses up to $5,000 to stay in the workforce.