More than 10,000 budding nurses and midwives will have their university degrees paid off in full to boost staffing across Victoria's health system.
The Victorian government on Sunday announced it would spent $270 million to recruit and train thousands of nurses and midwives as part of a new initiative.
Under the five-year program, all new domestic students enrolling in a professional-entry nursing and midwifery course in 2023 and 2024 will receive a scholarship of up to $16,500 to cover course costs.
Students will receive $9000 over their three years of study and the remaining $7500 would be paid off if they work in the Victorian public health services for two years.
"We will pay their entire HECS debt," Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation office in Melbourne.
A scholarship of roughly $10,000 will also be provided to thousands of postgraduate nurses to complete studies in specialist areas, including intensive care, emergency, paediatrics and cancer care.
