syracuse.com: NY is offering free tuition for nursing school, a dozen other med jobs. But act fast!
The following article, written by Douglass Dowty, was published on syracuse.com on June 26, 2025.
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.
But the deadline to apply is coming up fast.
Participants in the Caring Gene® Program must finish schooling by spring 2027 to qualify for free tuition. That means starting school this fall, at the latest, for professions like nursing.
“We’re really pushing to get students,” said Tosha Grimmer, Caring Gene® executive director. “We’re not concerned about funding. We want to support as many students as we can.”
More than 1,000 students have signed up for the program across Upstate New York. Similar programs exist for Downstate residents.
The $694 million program is designed to expand access to healthcare professionals to people who might not otherwise be able to afford school.
Besides nursing, professions include everything from respiratory therapy to mental health counselor.
To meet deadlines, applicants must start by the fall semester to finish schooling in time, Grimmer said. There’s a three-year service commitment afterward that must be satisfied by 2031.
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 State healthcare provider.
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’s hospitals, among others.
The need is great: Central New York sees roughly 5,000 healthcare-related job openings each year, including roughly 1,000 for nurses.
Caring Gene® is a limited-time opportunity because it’s funded under a Medicaid waiver that expires in a few years.
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.