Capacity and Health Workforce Planning Branch
Early Career
Tuition Support Program for Nurses
The Tuition Support Program for Nurses (TSPN) provides tuition reimbursement for nursing education to recent nursing graduates from rural and remote communities. Participating nurses sign a one-year return of service agreement to work in a designated underserviced community or facility for every year of tuition reimbursed. The Rurality Index of Ontario (RIO) is used to determine a community's eligibility for the TSPN. This program is administered by the ministry's Primary Health Care Branch.
Learn more about the Tuition Support Program for Nurses.
2023-24 Nursing Graduate Guarantee Program Update:
Nursing Graduate Guarantee Program
The Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) program is designed to support Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses who are within 12 months of registering with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) by providing them with a full-time employment opportunity.
The NGG program uses the NGG online portal to link new nurses and employers. Funding is provided to support transition into practice opportunities for new nurses that lead to full-time employment or the equivalent of full-time hours.
The ministry will provide 20 weeks of funding for each new nurse approved to participate in the NGG program. This will include 12 weeks of funding for the nurse’s transition into practice period and 8 weeks of funding to reinvest in existing frontline nurses and their professional development.
Nurse Eligibility
Participation in the NGG program is open to nurses within 12 months of registering with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) who meet the criteria below.
Canadian educated nurses who:
- Graduated with a baccalaureate degree in nursing or a diploma from a practical nursing program in Canada;
- Have not been employed as a nurse in Ontario in the six months prior to participating in the NGG program;
- Match with an employer on the NGG online portal within 12 months of registering with the CNO; and
- Commit to accepting full-time employment or the equivalent of full-time hours with their NGGemployer after completing the NGG program transition into practice period.
Internationally educated nurses who:
- Completed their nursing education outside of Canada;
- Have not been employed as a nurse in Ontario in the six months prior to participating in the NGG program;
- Match with an employer on the NGG online portal within 12 months of registering with the CNO; and
- Commit to accepting full-time employment or the equivalent of full-time hours with their NGG employer after completing the NGG program transition into practice period.
How Do I Participate?
Eligible nurses must use the NGG online portal and follow the registration and matching process outlined below:
- Visit the NGG online portal and register as a Nursing User.
- Apply for positions with organizations and match with an Employer on the NGG online portal.
- Complete the transition into practice period.
Employer Eligibility
The Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) program is open to health care employers in all sectors, including acute care, long-term care, home care, mental health, public health and primary care. To be eligible to participate in the NGG program, an employer must:
- Be a health care organization that employs nurses and is funded by the government of Ontario for the provision of nursing services;
- Have the infrastructure to support successful implementation of the NGG program (e.g., physical infrastructure, nursing education, or professional development and management supports); and
- Commit to transitioning new nurses into full-time employment or the equivalent of full-time hours within one year of the new nurses’ start dates.
How Do I Participate?
Eligible employers must use the NGG online portal and follow the registration and matching process outlined below:
- Project the availability of full-time employment or the equivalent of full-time hours for new nurses based on the employer’s analysis of staffing and operational needs.
- Visit the NGG online portal and register as an Employer.
- Post NGG program positions and interview new nurses considered for an NGG position (following the employer’s regular interview process).
- Use the NGG online portal to provide selected new nurse(s) with an offer of employment in the program. The offer of employment must abide by any applicable collective agreement requirements.
- Submit a budget request to the ministry through the NGG online portal, confirming:
- The details of the offer;
- The union has been consulted (if applicable); and
- The organization’s capacity and plan to transition the new nurse into a full-time position or provide the equivalent of full-time hours.
Note: The NGG portal will be available until November 14, 2023. Late submissions will not be accepted. - Enter into a funding agreement with the ministry (following ministry approval of the budget request).
- Provide the new nurse with a transition into practice period (12 weeks) in a full-time position that is above staffing complement in a clinical setting.
- Offer the new nurse a full-time position or the equivalent of full-time hours within one year of his/her start date in the NGG program or these funds will be subject to recovery by the Government of Ontario.
- Spend the reinvestment funds by March 31st of the funding year for which they were allocated, or these funds will be subject to recovery by the Government of Ontario.
- Submit final reports online, including financial, program and reinvestment reports and an Annual Reconciliation Report Certificate (ARRC).
Resources
- 2023-24 NGG Guidelines (PDF)
- 2023-24 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (PDF)
- NGG Portal (PDF)
Questions about the NGG should be directed to: nggmohltc@ontario.ca
Health Care Professionals
