Nursing Home Staffing Campaign

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to improving safety and quality of care in the nation's nursing homes. Nursing home staffing is a critical factor for improving care for nursing home residents. However, some nursing h

The Nursing Home Staffing Campaign (NHSC) is aimed at increasing the availability of nurses, registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses (LPNs), to work in the nursing home environment, such as in qualifying nursing homes or in an oversight capacity for a state inspection agency. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is focused on helping to recruit RNs and LPNs to work in nursing homes by offering financial incentives. CMS is accepting applications for cooperative agreements to entities that will administer financial incentives, such as tuition reimbursement and stipends to nurses, to work for three years in a qualifying nursing home or in an oversight role with a state agency.

Only these types of organizations may apply: Education organizations • Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. • Private (non-profit) institutions of higher education. Nonprofit nursing and educational organizations • National associations for nursing schools. • National associations for nurses. • National associations for nursing students. Nonprofit organizations • Nonprofits that have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education. • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education. • Community and consumer-focused nonprofit groups. Other organizations • Small nonprofit businesses. Faith-based organizations that meet the organizational eligibility requirements above are welcome to apply.

Education Organizations Nonprofit nursing and educational organizations Nonprofit Organizations Small nonprofit businesses

Awardees will enter into cooperative agreements with CMS to identify individuals and/or accept applications from nurses to qualify to receive funds that are contingent on working in a qualifying nursing home or state survey agency for three years. Qualifying nursing homes must meet CMS's criteria for prioritization within areas of high nurse labor shortages and will be determined by CMS. The awardee will distribute funds to qualified RNs and LPNs and can include one or both of these options: • Payment for student loan debt amounts up to $40,000 (as determined by CMS), depending on an individual's outstanding loan debt for a 2-year or 4-year RN degree, or LPN program, and/or • $10,000 as a stipend for living expenses for working in a qualified location (see information on qualified locations). The stipend will need to be adjusted for the cost of living for a particular area based on the current wage index used in the CMS Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). Awardees must distribute funds to recipients every three months in equal (or relatively equal) amounts so that the final payment to an individual occurs at the end of their three-year commitment. CMS is allocating the following proportions of all funds to maximize the use of funds (minus any funds allocated to administer this award): • 30%: LPNs • 50%: Two-year degree RNs • 20%: Four-year degree RNs Awardees will be required to maintain systems for RNs and LPNs to apply and track the fulfillment of work commitments. CMS acknowledges that there will be administrative functions that need to be funded through the cooperative agreements. However, based on CMS' estimates, applicants should target administrative costs to be 15% or lower of the total funding.

Funds can only be used for the purposes described in this Notice of Funding Opportunity, and cannot be used to support any other programs, such as recruiting nurses for non-nursing home settings or nursing homes that have not been deemed as qualified by CMS.

Funding will be disbursed through an annual obligation of funds, for up to five years. Applicants are expected to describe how they would implement an infrastructure to begin distributing funds and administering the program for qualified RNs after receipt of award within the first year of the award. This should include a timeline for implementation of the major milestones, such as when the applicant will begin recruiting nurses, and when the first nurse will be recruited and when financial incentives will be dispursed. A faster timeline for implementation to begin recruitment and dispursment of funds is preferred.

Experience and competency (25 Points): The organization's experience (the organization applying and/or the key personnel) operating programs with similar components and objectives, such as existing relationships with nursing schools (2-year and/or 4-year RN degree and LPN schools) or nursing students that will support the ability to recruit RNs/LPNs in all states (Program Requirements and Expectations). Operational proposal (25 Points) : How the organization proposes to implement the components of the program (Program Requirements and Expectations). Timeline and milestones (20 Points): The timeline with specific milestones across all components of the program that will be met to support a successful program. Communications plan (10 Points): How he expectations for reporting and meetings will be met. Budget narrative and administrative costs (20 Points): All costs in the budget narrative are reasonable and consistent with the project's purpose and activities.

All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. The results of the objective review of the applications by qualified experts will be used to advise the CMS approving official. In making these decisions, the CMS approving official will take into consideration: recommendations of the review panel; the readiness of the applicant to conduct the work required; the scope of overall projected impact on the aims; reviews for programmatic and grants management compliance; the reasonableness of the estimated cost to the government and anticipated results; and the likelihood that the proposed project will result in the benefits expected. Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Award (NoA).

NOFO published to Grants.gov by 02/02/2026 Estimated date Awards to be issued by 06/01/2026

Approval / Disapproval will be based on the award timeline.

Continued funding is contingent on the availability of funds, program authority, satisfactory performance, and compliance with the terms and conditions of the Federal award. For CMS to issue you continuation funding, you must demonstrate satisfactory progress. If we issue all the funding in the first year, then you must continue to show satisfactory progress to maintain access to your funds. At any time, we could decrease funding or terminate your award if you fail to perform the requirements of the award. See 2 CFR 200.340, Termination.

An unsuccessful applicant will be advised by a letter (sent to the individual signing the application on behalf of the organization) that its application will not be held for further consideration or be funded. The decision not to award a grant, or to award a grant at a particular funding level, is discretionary and is not subject to appeal to any OPDIV or HHS official or board.