Maryland Code, Education § 11-1902

(1) Support students in licensed practical nursing educational programs who intend to practice licensed practical nursing as a career in the State or continue on the nursing educational pathway to become a registered nurse in the State;

(2) Alleviate the shortage of nursing professionals by increasing the graduation and licensure rates of licensed practical nursing and registered nursing students in the State;

(3) Increase the number of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve;

(4) Facilitate student applications for financial resources that provide tuition assistance, loan repayment, and support for other educational costs; and

(5) Provide Program participants with financial assistance to cover the cost of:

(1) The time frame and steps necessary to establish the Program;

(2) The areas of the State in which the Program will operate;

(3) Funding to support the Program, including a strategy for sustainability through braided funding from local workforce development boards, local health care systems, and federal grants;

(4) The resources necessary to support the Program; and

(5) The types of evaluations, including obtaining feedback from students and educational institutions, needed to make recommendations about the Program's design and expansion statewide.