Gwendolyn Stearns Student Assistance Program

Financial assistance under this program is provided through student loans. If the student chooses to work for Monument Health after graduation, the loans will be forgiven. A loan repayment option is available for students who do not plan to work for Monument Health after graduation. Loan amounts vary based on availability of funds and number of accepted applicants.

Eligible applicants are those admitted to the health care career program they are pursuing. Programs include, but are not limited to:

All applicants must be enrolled as full-time students and have a minimum 2.5 GPA.

Within six months of completing the educational program, loan recipients must develop a plan to either repay the loans OR agree to work for Monument Health for a set time after graduation. If the person has agreed to work in exchange for loan forgiveness, they will be required to work for Monument Health for 2,080 hours per each academic semester they were supported by the Gwendolyn Stearns program. This exchange for work is performed while being paid at the individual’s regular compensation rate and therefore results in the loan being “forgiven.” The program is not an offer or guarantee of employment. Students not hired by Monument Health (or those who are terminated from the educational program) are required to repay the assistance.

In the event the recipient does not secure employment at Monument Health, the loan must be repaid according to the terms listed above. Termination during the employment year(s) will result in proration of the amount to be repaid, based on the number of hours worked by the loan recipient.