Eligibility requirements:

• Legal residents of Delaware.
• U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.
• Full-time students enrolled in an accredited program leading to certification as an RN or LPN.
• High school seniors must rank in upper half of class with at least a 2.5 cumulative, unweighted GPA.
• Undergraduates must have at least a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Current state employees do not have to be Delaware residents and may be considered for part-time enrollment.
• RNs with five or more years of state service may enroll in a BSN program on a full- or part-time basis.

Award:

• Loan not to exceed cost of tuition, fees, and other direct educational expenses
• Renewable for up to three additional years with a cumulative GPA of 2.75
• Loan forgiveness provision at a rate of one year of employment at a state-owned hospital or clinic for one year of loan:
  • Governor Bacon Health Center
  • Emily P. Bissell Hospital
  • Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill
  • Delaware Psychiatric Center
  • Delaware Veterans Home
  • Stockley Center

Deadlines:

• The priority deadline to receive all application materials is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2012.
• Applicants who apply after the priority deadline will be considered to the extent that funding is available.

To apply:
You can apply online beginning January 2, 2012, by completing the Common Merit Application on the Delaware Higher Education Office's secure Student Account Access site at https://dheo.doe.k12.de.us/dhec_student/login.aspx. First-time users must establish an account and provide a valid email and mailing address before proceeding to the application. Incomplete applications cannot be processed. Please be sure to provide all of the required information:

1. Completed application, including activities
2. Essay of no less than 1,000 and no more than 1,200 words, excluding headings and footnotes (Word count will be verified.)
3. If you are a high school senior, or have less than 12 college credits, your High School Academic Record Report and Transcript Request and your high school transcript must be submitted directly from your high school to the Delaware Higher Education Office. Students are responsible for ensuring that their school provides these forms by the deadline.
4. If you have 12 or more college credits, your College Grade Release Form must be submitted directly from your college to the Delaware Higher Education Office. Students are responsible for ensuring that their school provides this form by the deadline.