Section 597.330  Deferment of Scholarship Obligation

a)         The nursing employment obligation may be deferred and re-evaluated by a review of a written statement from the recipient every 6 months when the failure to fulfill the nursing employment obligation results from:

1)         Involuntarily leaving the profession due to a decrease in the number of nurses employed in the State; or

2)         When the failure to fulfill the nursing employment obligation results from total and permanent disability.

b)         In order to defer the continuous nursing employment obligation, a recipient must request the deferment in writing from the Department.

c)         A recipient shall notify program staff within 30 days if the recipient spends up to 4 years in military service before or after graduation and after completion of the nursing employment obligation.  The time spent in military service, up to 4 years, shall be excluded from the computation of the number of months of nursing employment obligation as described in Section 597.320(c).

d)         A recipient shall notify program staff within 30 days if the recipient is enrolled in an academic program leading to a graduate degree in nursing.  The nursing employment obligation shall be deferred until he or she has completed a graduate degree in nursing

e)         If a recipient receives funding through the Nursing Education Scholarship Program for a higher degree, the nursing employment obligation shall be deferred until he or she is no longer enrolled or has graduated with the higher degree.

f)          The recipient must begin meeting the required nursing employment obligation no later than 6 months after the end of any deferment. (Section 6 of the Law)

(Source:  Added at 26 Ill. Reg. 16965, effective November 08, 2002)