Sumaila's Case

Applied to Recognition Counts: January 2013

Education: Bachelor in Nursing, Master in Nursing

Experience/profession in his/her country: 4 years as a Registered Nurse

Qualification Recognition Summary:

Background Sketch:

Sumaila came to Canada six months ago from India and is single, with no dependents. She is currently working full time earning $13.50 an hour as a support worker for individuals in assisted living situations. She also works approximately ten hours per week on a casual basis as a health care aide earning $17.00 an hour. With the heavy workload involved in the Bridging Program, Sumaila will have to quit her full time job but will continue working the casual job as a health care aide.

Professional Goals:

Short Term: Complete the Bridging Program for Internationally Educated Nurses and pass the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam in October 2013.
Long Term: Practice as a Registered Nurse full time.

Financial Sketch:

Sumaila used all her savings to move to Canada and has been sharing an apartment with a friend. She has been able to save $3000 and owes $1000 on her credit card. Her portion of the rent is $450 per month and the credit card minimum payment is $30. Her family back home does not need her to contribute so her only other costs are living expenses and any payments required to obtain her nursing registration.

Sumaila hopes to continue to earn about $600 per month from her current job as a health care aide. She has been approved for $5000 assistance from Employment Manitoba and the Nurses Recruitment and Retention Fund. She will use the Nurses Recruitment and Retention Fund towards her tuition and the Employment Manitoba funds will be used for her living expenses.

Recognition Counts Application:

Sumaila applied for a $10,000 loan to be disbursed as follows:

1st disbursement (February 2013)

2nd disbursement (May 2013)

Career Action Plan Information:

Timeline
First disbursement: February 2013
End of the Career Action Plan: October 2013
Total amount of months: 7

Plan: Sumaila is confident she will be able to successfully complete all the Bridging requirements and the licensing exam. She graduated only 4 years ago and remembers how to study and write exams. She has been keeping up to date in the field and has spoken to other nurses from her home country so she understands many of the different ways nursing is practised in Canada.

Backup Plan: Although Sumaila believes she will attain her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse in Canada, she has been told by her casual employer that there will be extra hours available to her if she needs them. She likes the job and feels she will be able to make a good living as a Health Care Aide if anything goes wrong with her nursing plans.

Case Outcome:

Sumaila is approved for a $10,000 loan at the fixed rate of prime (3%) plus 2% which will be a 5% loan rate. Because she so recently graduated, has been so thorough in her research and has mentors in the field, SEED staff believes she has the ability to obtain her Registered Nurse licence. If she is unable to pass the exam within the required time frame, she will be able to repay the loan using her back-up plan of working as a Health Care Aide.

Payments:

First disbursement (February 2013) = $6,000.
Interest payments from March 2013: approximately $25.00 per month.

Second disbursement (May 2013) = $4000 (the principal she owes is now $10,000).
Interest payments from June 2013: approximately $41.67 per month.

Payments on principal are due 6 months after the Career Action Plan ends. Her Career Action Plan ends in October 2013. She must begin payments on the principal in April 2014. Sumaila will have used 13 months of the 60 month maximum term allowed (7 months for the Career Plan and the 6 month grace period) and has 47 months left to repay the full principal and interest on the loan.

During the 47 months, she will be paying approximately: $234 per month (principal and interest).

The payment terms are flexible and Sumaila can pay extra principal payments whenever she wants.