PHEAA Launches Website to Address Pennsylvania's Nursing Shortage
FuturesInNursing.org Seeks to Further Education in Nursing Field

Harrisburg, PA - June 4, 2003 - The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation announced today the launch of FuturesInNursing.org, a Website designed to promote the diverse career paths available to today's nurses, encourage nurses to further their education and careers, and invite young students to enter the nursing profession.

The site offers in-depth information on necessary skills, salary levels, career specialization, education requirements and available student aid.

"The FuturesInNursing Website was designed with several audiences in mind," said PHEAA President and C.E.O. Dick Willey. "We want to encourage middle and high school students to consider the opportunities available with a nursing education. We also want to reach working nurses, providing them the information they need to further their education in the nursing field and, as a result, their career. Not only does this site help advance individual careers, it will also help Pennsylvania by ensuring that we will have a workforce of quality nursing care."

The FuturesInNursing Website was launched to support the Nursing Loan Forgiveness for Healthier Futures program. This program is an effort to address the critical need for quality health care in Pennsylvania. The program helps nursing students repay their student loans through an innovative loan forgiveness program. By working for a participating Pennsylvania health care organization or health system after graduation, up to 25 percent or $12,500 of a nurse's qualified student loan debt can be forgiven over three years. Eligibility requirements and additional information on this program can be found on the FuturesInNursing site.

FuturesInNursing.org is sponsored by PHEAA and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation as part of a public service awareness campaign to address the nursing shortage in the Commonwealth. Further information on the site can be obtained by calling 800.377.4502.