Free Stuff for Nurses 2026
10 freebies and discounts, plus what to expect in Nurses Week
The biggest free help for nurses is loan repayment. Discounts and Nurses Week food fill in the rest.
- NURSE Corps: pays 60% of nursing school debt for two years at a shortage facility.
- PSLF: forgives federal loans after 120 payments at a nonprofit or public employer.
- Year-round discounts: Under Armour (20%), Crocs (15%) and Nike (10%) for verified healthcare workers.
- Nurses Week (May 6-12): restaurant deals come and go; only Chipotle’s giveaway has come back reliably.
⚡ Free right now
- Yankee Candle Small Candle Free with $10+ PurchaseGet it →
- Free Crown Royal Purple Bag Care Package for TroopsGet it →
- Free A Charlie Brown Christmas Streaming on Apple TV+Get it →
- Free Bowling and Arcade Play at Bowlero Family FestGet it →
- Free 4x6 Santa Photo at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela'sGet it →
Nurse freebies and discounts at a glance
Nursing student loan repayment and forgiveness: NURSE Corps and PSLF
The largest freebies for nurses are federal, and they come with work requirements. Read the terms before you plan around them.
NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program (HRSA)
Pays 60% of your qualifying nursing school debt over a two-year contract, with an optional third year that adds another 25%. The payments count as taxable income.
What it takes: Licensed RNs, APRNs and nurse faculty working full-time at a critical shortage facility or an accredited nursing school. The 2026 cycle is closed; HRSA posts the next one on its site and by email.
Official page →Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Forgives the rest of your federal Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments.
What it takes: Full-time work for a government employer or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which covers most nonprofit hospitals. Certify your employment through StudentAid.gov as you go.
Official page →Free nursing CE for license renewal
You rarely have to pay for contact hours. Check your employer’s learning portal first; most health systems offer free CE to staff.
Medscape Nursing CE
Accredited nursing CE activities across specialties, with a tracker for the credits you earn.
What it takes: A free Medscape account.
Official page →Year-round nurse discounts on shoes, scrubs and phone plans
Not free, but real savings on things nurses go through fast, like shoes and phone plans.
Nike
10% off most items for medical professionals, on the first $500 of an order. Online and in the Nike App only, not in stores.
What it takes: A Nike membership plus SheerID verification with your current medical license. Codes expire after two weeks, and you can get a new one every seven days.
Official page →Under Armour
A standing nurse and healthcare worker discount, listed at 20% off during Nurses Week 2026. UA sometimes raises it for short promotions.
What it takes: Verify with ID.me at checkout.
Official page →Crocs
15% off select styles. Some collaborations and new releases are excluded.
What it takes: Verify as a healthcare worker through ID.me.
Official page →adidas
A healthcare discount online, in stores and at outlets. adidas shows the percentage after you verify rather than publishing it.
What it takes: Verify through ID.me.
Official page →AT&T
A per-line discount on eligible unlimited plans, larger on the more expensive plans.
What it takes: Active, licensed or certified US doctors, nurses or physician assistants. Fill out AT&T's medical verification form.
Official page →Nurses Week free food deals (May 6-12)
Nurses Week is May 6 to 12 every year. Restaurant deals show up most years, but chains announce them only days ahead and the lineup changes. Here’s what ran in 2026.
Chipotle
The one that keeps coming back: Chipotle has run a free-burrito giveaway for healthcare workers during Nurses Week in 2024, 2025 and 2026. In 2024 and 2025 it was a drawing for 100,000 burrito e-cards, not a guaranteed freebie.
What it takes: Enter on Chipotle's offer page during the week and verify your job. Winners are notified afterward.
Official page →Shake Shack, Applebee's and Cinnabon (2026)
In 2026, Shake Shack gave a free ShackBurger or VeggieShack with a purchase, Applebee's a free appetizer with an entrée, and Cinnabon a free MiniBon with a health care ID badge. None has said whether it will return in 2027.
What it takes: Show a valid work ID in person. Participating locations only, and Shake Shack and Applebee's needed a purchase.
Official page →How to verify as a nurse and get the discounts
- Set up ID.me once: Under Armour, Crocs and adidas all check through it, and your verified status carries over.
- Keep your license number handy: Nike’s SheerID check and AT&T’s form both ask for a current license.
- Watch the first week of May: restaurant offers land days before May 6, many end May 12, and Chipotle’s has needed advance sign-up.
- Ask HR about loans and perks: they can confirm PSLF or NURSE Corps eligibility, and many health systems run staff discount portals.
Nurse freebies we dropped and why
- adidas “40% off”: adidas doesn’t publish a fixed healthcare percentage, so we no longer quote one.
- Planet Fitness free memberships: a pandemic-era promotion, not a current offer.
- Apple “healthcare worker pricing”: Apple has no public discount for healthcare workers; some employers run purchase programs, so ask HR.
- The North Face Pro Program and FIGS 15% off: we couldn’t confirm either is open to nurses as a nurse discount.
- Dunkin’ free coffee: offers vary by franchise, and we couldn’t confirm national terms.
Free stuff for nurses: common questions
What free stuff can nurses get in 2026?
The most valuable free help is loan repayment. HRSA's NURSE Corps program pays 60% of nursing school debt for two years at a critical shortage facility (up to 85% with a third year), and Public Service Loan Forgiveness clears federal loans after 120 payments at a nonprofit or public employer. Free CE is easy to find through Medscape and most employers. Food freebies mostly happen during Nurses Week in May.
When is Nurses Week?
May 6 to 12 every year, ending on Florence Nightingale's birthday. National Student Nurses Day is May 8, and School Nurse Day is the Wednesday of that week. The next Nurses Week is May 6-12, 2027.
Do restaurants give free food to nurses every Nurses Week?
Some do, but don't count on any single chain. Chipotle has run a healthcare-worker burrito giveaway three years running (2024 to 2026), usually as a drawing. Others, like Shake Shack, Applebee's and Cinnabon in 2026, change from year to year, often need a purchase, and are announced only days before May 6.
Do nurse discounts apply to all healthcare workers?
It depends on the brand. Nike covers doctors, nurses, technicians, medical researchers and EMTs. AT&T's program is for licensed or certified doctors, nurses and physician assistants. Under Armour and Crocs use ID.me's healthcare groups, which include nurses and other medical staff.
How do I prove I am a nurse for discounts?
Online, usually ID.me or SheerID with your nursing license. Under Armour, Crocs and adidas use ID.me; Nike uses SheerID. AT&T has its own verification form. In person during Nurses Week, restaurants ask for a hospital badge or work ID.
