256R.37 SCHOLARSHIPS.

(a) The commissioner shall provide a scholarship per diem rate calculated using the criteria in paragraphs (b) to (d). The per diem rate must be based on the allowable costs the facility paid for employee scholarships for any eligible employee, except the facility administrator, who works an average of at least ten hours per week in the licensed nursing facility building when the facility has paid expenses related to:

(1) an employee’s course of study that is expected to lead to career advancement with the facility or in the field of long-term care;

(2) an employee’s job-related training in English as a second language;

(3) the reimbursement of student loan expenses for newly hired registered nurses and licensed practical nurses; and

(4) the reimbursement of training, testing, and associated expenses for newly hired nursing assistants as specified in section 144A.611, subdivisions 2 and 4. The reimbursement of nursing assistant expenses under this clause is not subject to the ten-hour minimum work requirement under this paragraph.

(b) Allowable scholarship costs include: tuition, student loan reimbursement, other direct educational expenses, and reasonable costs for child care and transportation expenses directly related to education, as defined by the commissioner.

(c) The commissioner shall provide a scholarship per diem rate equal to the allowable scholarship costs divided by resident days. The commissioner shall compute the scholarship per diem rate annually and include the scholarship per diem rate in the external fixed costs payment rate.

(d) When the resulting scholarship per diem rate is 15 cents or more, nursing facilities that close beds during a rate year may request to have the scholarship rate recalculated. This recalculation is effective from the date of the bed closure through the remainder of the rate year and reflects the estimated reduction in resident days compared to the previous cost report year.

(e) Facilities seeking to have the facility’s scholarship expenses recognized for the payment rate computation in section 256R.25 may apply annually by submitting information to the commissioner on a schedule and in a form supplied by the commissioner.

History:

2016 c 99 art 1 s 24,42; 2016 c 189 art 18 s 8; 1Sp2017 c 6 art 3 s 41; 2022 c 98 art 7 s 29

History: History: 2016 c 99 art 1 s 24,42; 2016 c 189 art 18 s 8; 1Sp2017 c 6 art 3 s 41; 2022 c 98 art 7 s 29