Nursing Education Initiative (NEI) grant application FAQ

If you are an RN or NP who is receiving education that will enhance the quality of care and services provided by the nurses of Ontario, and the education is provincially recognized, the education will be considered for a grant. All applications are reviewed for eligibility and scored according to criteria based on funding priorities.

Please note that courses for non-medically necessary procedures such as Botox are not eligible for grant.

There is no guarantee your application will be selected for a grant.

Yes. Most certification and exam fees are eligible. Please note that some re-certification fees are not be eligible.

No. Any RN or NP employed in an eligible setting may apply.

Please submit your completed application form within 90 days (three months) after the education end date. The education end date is the last day of the class/course, or day of exam – not when marks/grades are accessed.

For example, if you write an exam on April 4, your deadline to submit an application package is July 4.

We ask that copies of your receipt of payment and proof of successful completion are included with your application submission (see deadline information above). Submitting a complete application (NEI form, receipt and grade) all at once will reduce processing time. If you do not have access to your receipt and/or grades within 90 days (three months) after your education end date due to delays from your educational provider, please contact us before the 90-day deadline for further information. Please be sure to submit your application form by the deadlines indicated on pages one and two of the form. We cannot accept late applications.

A receipt of payment should come from your educational provider and be specific to the education in question (state the course/conference name or course code or semester), indicate the base tuition/registration fee and show that the tuition/registration fee has been paid in full.

Copies of T2202A forms, personal cheques or credit card/bank statements are insufficient without accompanying payment documentation from your educational provider verifying the fee amount being requested.

No. As of August 1, 2013, applications for NEI grants must be completed online.

No. As of August 1, 2013, applications must be completed online.

Online applications are more secure, faster to process, more reliable, and they result in more money for grants.

All applications are assessed in accordance with the priority criteria established by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and are evaluated on a numeric rating system to objectively calculate the grant amounts for eligible applications. Auditors regularly review randomly selected applications to ensure fairness in the application process.

The maximum amount of NEI grants a nurse can receive per funding year is $1,500. How do I know which NEI funding applies to my grant?

The year in which the course/conference/workshop ends determines the NEI funding year that is accessed. For example: if your course ends in December 2011, but you applied for a grant in January 2012, the 2011 NEI funding year is still accessible because the course end date fell in 2011.

The NEI funding year is determined by the education end date, regardless of the year in which you submitted your request or when a cheque was issued.

When you send in a complete submission (the application form, receipt of payment and proof of completion of education) within 90 days (three months) of the education end date, we will review the application and process it.

You will receive an email confirmation/receipt within 15-20 business days of submission.

If you are a Masters or PhD student doing course work, the application process is similar. If you are applying for a grant in relation to your thesis work, please contact us as soon as possible to find out more about the application process.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) considers NEI grants over $500 taxable as “other income” in the year received. The CRA considers when the grant was received, not when the education took place.

For example: if a course takes place from September 2011 to December 2011 and a grant cheque is issued in January 2012, the CRA will assess the amount received in the 2012 tax year as the cheque was issued in 2012. As such, the amount listed on a T4A slip may total over $1,500 because cheques from two separate NEI funding years may have been issued in the same calendar/tax year.