21-17-116. Course in field of advanced practice registered nurse in psychiatry; authority to offer; contracts with students; repayment of funds expended; deposit of repayments.

(a) In addition to other powers heretofore granted to the trustees of the University of Wyoming, the board may offer and provide, in whole or in part at the university or in whole or in part at other institutions, universities or colleges within or without the state, a course of training and education in the field of nursing for advanced practice registered nurses in psychiatry.

(b) To accomplish the purposes of this section and in order that degrees in advanced practice registered nurse in psychiatry may be awarded by the university, the board of trustees may enter into contracts with other institutions, universities or colleges within or without the state that maintain schools for the training and education of students in advanced practice registered nurse with a specialty in psychiatry and to expend its funds in connection therewith.

(c) Students desiring to avail themselves of the opportunities under this section, before enrolling for the courses, shall be approved by the president of the university acting with the advice of the state board of nursing. No student shall be approved by the president unless the student has obtained not less than a baccalaureate degree as a registered nurse. Preference under this section shall be given to applicants who individually or whose spouse, parent or legal guardian meets the requirements of W.S. 21-17-105(d)(i) through (v).

(d) In addition to the requirements of subsection (c) of this section, before expending any funds the board of trustees shall obtain an agreement from each student whereby the student agrees to authorize the state of Wyoming to pay not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) for each academic semester, or not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) for each summer session, the student is enrolled as a full-time student in an approved course of study as determined by any contract between the state of Wyoming and the school of nursing providing that education. Students enrolled on a part-time basis during an academic semester may agree to receive payments reduced proportionally based upon the number of credit hours for which the student is enrolled for that semester, where nine (9) credit hours constitutes a full-time student. The student shall agree either to:

(i) Actively engage in professional practice as an advanced practice registered nurse in psychiatry in Wyoming for up to one (1) year for each academic year of full-time attendance for which payments under this section are made, but not to exceed a total of three (3) years, as the board requires. Qualified work shall be granted on a proportional basis; or

(ii) Repay all amounts expended by the state of Wyoming under this subsection on the student's education, together with interest which shall begin accruing after the student's residency but in no event later than four (4) years after the student enters into an agreement, upon terms specified by the board. However, interest shall begin to accrue if the board finds that the student has withdrawn from nursing school or a clinical program or is otherwise not making satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree or program. Money expended under this subsection shall accrue at an annual interest rate equal to that charged for federal Stafford loans at the time interest begins to accrue, which rate shall be adjusted annually to match the federal Stafford loan rate. In no event shall the interest rate be greater than eight percent (8%).

(e) Upon recommendation of the president of the university, the board of trustees may relieve a student of the obligation to repay amounts expended under subsection (d) of this section, in whole or in part, where repayment would cause undue hardship. The university shall annually report the number of students relieved from repayment under this paragraph to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee not later than October 1.

(f) Any amounts paid by advanced practice registered nurse students in psychiatry in accordance with the contractual arrangements authorized under this section effective July 1, 2008, and thereafter, shall be deposited into a special fund designated as the advanced practice registered nurse in psychiatry student fund, maintained and separately accounted for by the University of Wyoming, which fund shall be used solely for payments under subsection (d) of this section. On or before October 1 of each year, the university shall submit a report to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee on expenditures from the fund during the prior fiscal year.

(g) For purposes of this section:

(i) "Advanced practice registered nurse" means as defined in W.S. 33-21-120(a)(i);

(ii) "Enrolled as a full-time student" means enrolled in and attending not less than nine (9) credit hours per academic semester of approved studies, or as determined by the approved program for summer sessions.