Nursing Scholarships and Loans

2025-2026 Bill 4782: Nursing Scholarships and Loans - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4782
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Gilliard
Document Path: LC-0568WAB26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Education and Public Works
Summary: Nursing Scholarships and Loans
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE
"GRADUATE NURSING SCHOLARSHIP AND FORGIVABLE LOAN PROGRAM ACT" BY ADDING
ARTICLE 8 TO CHAPTER 111, TITLE 59 SO AS TO ADDRESS PRIMARY CARE SHORTAGES IN
UNDERSERVED AREAS BY INCREASING ACCESS TO GRADUATE-LEVEL NURSING EDUCATION
THROUGH FORGIVABLE LOANS, TO PROVIDE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE
FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

W
hereas, South Carolina
continues to experience a significant shortage of primary care providers,
particularly in rural and underserved communities; and

W
hereas, Advanced Practice
Registered Nurses (APRNs) and nurses with graduate-level education play a
critical and expanding role in serving as primary care providers in communities
with limited access to physicians; and

W
hereas, graduate degrees in
nursing are required for registered nurses to become APRNs, and such degrees
are necessary to strengthen the State's primary care workforce; and

W
hereas, increased access to
scholarships, loans, and grants for graduate-level nursing education will
enhance the ability of South Carolina residents to pursue these advanced
degrees; and

W
hereas, expanding the number
of APRNs and graduate-prepared nurses will help alleviate provider shortages,
improve health outcomes, and increase access to essential healthcare services
in underserved areas across the State; Now, therefore,

S
ECTION 1.
This act may be cited as the "Graduate Nursing Scholarship and
Forgivable Loans Act."

S
ECTION 2.
C
hapter 111, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

A
rticle 8

G
raduate Nursing Scholarship and Forgivable
Loans

S
ection
59-111-810
.
A
s used in this article:

(
1)
"Advanced Practice Registered Nurse" or "APRN" has the same meaning as provided
in Section
40-33-20
(5).

(
2)
"Department" means the South Carolina Department of Health.

(
3)
"Graduate nursing program" means an accredited master's or doctoral program in
nursing or advanced practice nursing approved by the department.

(
4)
"Designated nursing shortage area" means an area determined by the department
to have a shortage of nurses or APRNs or nurses with graduate degree
credentials, or otherwise designated as meeting a critical healthcare need.

S
ection
59-111-820
.
(
A) The department
shall aid, assist, promote, and administer a fund to be known as the "South
Carolina Graduate Nursing Scholarship and Forgivable Loan Fund," with such
funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly.

(
B)
The department shall receive and consider applications submitted by students
who:

(
1)
have been legal residents of South Carolina for at least one year immediately
preceding their application;

(
2)
seek to enroll in or continue enrollment in a graduate nursing program; and

(
3)
have been accepted for enrollment in an accredited graduate nursing program
within the United States that is approved by the department.

(
C)
The department shall conduct a full investigation of each applicant's academic
qualifications, financial need, character, professional goals, and fitness to
receive an award.

(
D)
In selecting recipients, the department shall consider the applicant's stated
intent to practice as an APRN or as a graduate-prepared registered nurse in a
designated nursing shortage area or in another location or assignment that
meets a critical state need.

(
E)
The department may grant scholarships or forgivable loans to qualified
applicants upon the terms and conditions established under this article.

S
ection
59-111-830
.
(
A) No award may
exceed ten thousand dollars per academic year for up to four years. Awards may
be used to defray tuition, fees, books, supplies, living expenses, clinical
training costs, and other costs related to graduate nursing education.

(
B)
As a condition of receiving funds, a recipient shall:

(
1)
apply for and maintain the appropriate nursing or APRN licensure required under
Title 40 at the earliest practicable time; and

(
2)
within six months after obtaining such licensure or completing required
clinical training, engage in the practice of nursing or advanced practice
nursing in a designated nursing shortage area or other site deemed to meet a
critical state need.

(
C)
The department shall annually prepare and publish a list of designated nursing
shortage areas using current demographic, workforce, and public-health data.
Every area of the State must be included within at least one service
designation.

(
D)
Recipients shall provide one year of full-time service for each year of funding
received. If a recipient receives awards for four years, completion of three
years of qualifying service constitutes full forgiveness.

(
E)
Before receiving funds, a recipient shall enter into a written contract with
the department, which constitutes a contract with the State of South Carolina.
The contract must include provisions implementing Section
59-111-830
and must
be signed by the director of the department, countersigned by the executive
secretary, and signed by the applicant.

(
F)
The department may approve deferments during periods of full-time graduate
study, clinical training, or for other good cause as determined by the
department.

S
ection
59-111-840
. The department may inquire into, coordinate with, and enter into
agreements or contracts with graduate nursing programs approved for attendance
by recipients. The department, upon proper notice, may cancel any such
agreement.

S
ection
59-111-850
.
(
A) If a recipient
fails, without justifiable cause, to fulfill the service obligation required by
the contract, the department shall impose a penalty consisting, at minimum, of
repayment of the total amount received plus per-annum interest at the prevailing
prime rate of the largest bank by deposits in South Carolina plus two percent.

(
B)
At maximum, the department may require repayment of three times the total
amount received, together with interest at the prevailing prime rate of the
largest bank by deposits in South Carolina.

(
C)
The department shall mail the demand for repayment to the recipient's last
known address, and the amount demanded becomes immediately due and payable.

(
D)
If the department determines that good cause exists for failure to serve, it
may release the recipient from the service obligation and establish repayment
terms it considers proper, including interest at the prevailing prime rate.

(
E)
Upon request of the department, the Attorney General shall institute
proceedings to recover any amount owed.

S
ection
59-111-860
. All funds appropriated for the purposes of this article and all
sums received in repayment must be deposited in the State Treasury to the
credit of the South Carolina Graduate Nursing Scholarship and Forgivable Loan
Fund and disbursed upon voucher signed by the director of the department or his
designee.

S
ection
59-111-870
. The department may promulgate regulations necessary to carry out
the provisions of this article.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect on July 1,
2027.

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:40 PM