Minnesota Home and Community-Based Services Employee Scholarship Grant and Loan Forgiveness Program
Minnesota Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Employee Scholarship Grant and Loan Forgiveness Program supports workforce development and retention in the home and community-based services scholarships and loan forgiveness for training in nursing and other healthcare fields. This program supports:
- Grants to HCBS employers for employee scholarships
- Loan forgiveness for individual HCBS employees
Scholarship Program Overview:
Eligible courses of study for scholarship recipients include trainings, workshops, and degree programs directly related to the delivery of patient or client care in home and community-based services settings, including:
- Nursing, including Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nursing (RN) or other relevant degrees
- Degree programs in the field of long-term care, including care for persons with disabilities
- Licensed Assisted Living Director
- Social work
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Client care-related trainings that result in
industry-recognized certifications, credentials, or
course credits and are above and beyond those required
for licensure of the organization, for example:
- Trained Medication Aide
- Certified Dementia Care
- Wound Care Certification
- Training for medical care interpreter services
- Job-related English as a Second Language
Loan Forgiveness Program Overview:
Eligible HCBS provider organizations may nominate current or prospective employees with qualified educational debt for loan forgiveness. MDH sets a standard loan forgiveness award amount. If an employee's qualifying loan balance is smaller than the standard award, they will receive loan forgiveness for the amount of their loan balance. Loans incurred any time before July 1, 2026 are eligible for forgiveness.
Eligible individuals are:
- Employed in a caregiving role
- Committed to work for a qualifying HCBS employer for up to 2 years
- Submitted to MDH for consideration
Eligible applicants must be located in Minnesota and:
- Primarily provides services to individuals who are 65 years of age and older in home and community-based settings
- Holds one of the following licenses:
- Assisted living facilities as defined in Sec. 144G.08 MN Statutes, subdivision 7
- Adult day care facility as defined in MN Statute 245A.02, subdivision 2a
- Home care services provider as defined in MN Statute 144A.43, subdivision 3
Priority will be given to:
- HCBS provider organizations outside of the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area
- HCBS provider organizations with operating expenses of $2 million or less and 50 patients/clients or fewer
- Projects that pay for employee coursework leading to career advancement, including certification and licensure, in the field of long-term care nursing
- Employees nominated for loan forgiveness whose educational program led to their licensing as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN)
Scholarship Program:
Award ceiling: $125,000
Award floor:$12,000
Estimated number of awards: 20
Estimated total program funding:
$800,000
Loan Forgiveness Program:
Award amount: $6,000 per year for up to 2 years
Estimated number of awards: 33
Links to application instructions and the online application system are available on the program website.
Applicant webinar
November 4, 2025
1:00 p.m. Central
Related Content
Organizations (1)
- Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, view details
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