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Two nurses talk to the mother of a young child inside the ER at Upstate University Hospital Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Upstate is one of the schools that is offering free tuition through Caring Gene. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com<\/p>\n
Syracuse, NY — New York state is bankrolling free tuition for thousands of people to attend school for nursing and a dozen other health-related professions.<\/p>\n
But the deadline to apply is coming up fast. <\/p>\n
Participants in the Caring Gene program<\/a> must finish schooling by spring 2027 to qualify for free tuition. That means starting school this fall, at the latest, for professions like nursing. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to apply for free tuition through Caring Gene<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really pushing to get students,\u201d said Tosha Grimmer, Caring Gene executive director. \u201cWe\u2019re not concerned about funding. We want to support as many students as we can.\u201d <\/p>\n More than 1,000 students have signed up for the program across Upstate New York. Similar programs exist for Downstate residents. <\/p>\n The $694 million program is designed to expand access to healthcare professions to people who might otherwise not be able to afford school. <\/p>\n Besides nursing, professions include everything from respiratory therapy to mental health counselor. <\/p>\n To meet the deadlines, applicants must start by the fall semester to finish schooling in time, Grimmer said. There\u2019s a three-year service commitment afterward that must be satisfied by 2031. <\/p>\n The program has no income or location-based restrictions, she said. Applicants should be residents of New York state or live in a nearby state and work for a New York health care provider.<\/p>\n In Central New York, participating schools include Onondaga Community College, Le Moyne College, Upstate Medical University, Bryant & Stratton and colleges of nursing at Crouse and St. Joseph\u2019s hospitals, among others.<\/p>\n See a complete list of professions and schools in the Caring Gene program<\/a>.<\/p>\n The need is great: Central New York sees roughly 5,000 healthcare-related job openings each year, including roughly 1,000 for nurses. <\/p>\n Caring Gene is a limited-time opportunity because it\u2019s funded under a Medicaid waiver that expires in a few years. <\/p>\n In exchange for free tuition, students under Caring Gene agree to work in a healthcare setting with a patient population that is at least 30% covered by Medicaid for three years. <\/p>\n RELATED:<\/b> Central NY needs 1000s more nurses and health care workers now. One tactic: \u2018Grow your own\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n