SB 1473 Summary

• Establishes the Arizona Nurses Academy as a scholarship and incentive program to recruit nursing students and commit them to practice in underserved areas (rural counties under 500,000 population, Indian reservations, and specific healthcare settings).

• Provides annual scholarships of $5,000 per year (max 4 years) for university students or $3,000 per year (max 2 years) for community college students to cover tuition and fees after other financial aid.

• Requires scholarship recipients to practice as nurses for one full calendar year per year of scholarship received; students who fail to complete this service obligation must repay the proportional scholarship amount.

• Creates the Arizona Nurses Academy Fund through legislative appropriations, administered by the Arizona Board of Regents, with distribution to eligible postsecondary institutions (universities and community colleges offering nursing programs).

• Requires annual reporting to the legislature and governor on enrollment numbers, completion rates, nurses practicing in-state, default rates, and fund expenditures and balances.