Incoming UNMC College of Nursing students in the Accelerated BSN program are among those eligible to apply for a new nursing scholarship through the American Rescue Plan Act.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which announced the scholarship availability Monday, has been granted $5 million to administer the scholarship program for Nebraska students.
Nebraska DHHS said the ARPA funds are intended to rebuild Nebraska’s public health workforce and advance the state’s recovery from nursing shortages induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The scholarships are aimed at supporting Nebraska residents participating in CNA, LPN, ADN and Accelerated BSN programs in Nebraska.
“UNMC continues to step forward to help our state recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are glad to take a leading role in building the health professions workforce across Nebraska,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD. “I hope that our future nursing students in the Accelerated BSN program will take a close look at this new scholarship opportunity. They are a critical part of the pipeline that will continue to serve our health care systems across the state.”
Nursing Dean Juliann Sebastian, PhD, said that for UNMC programs, eligibility applies to Nebraska residents who are planning to enroll in the Accelerated BSN program starting next semester. Scholarships will be awarded starting in the spring 2023 semester.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Accelerated BSN students,” Dr. Sebastian said. “We are so grateful for this new source of scholarship funding for nursing students who will make important contributions to the health of Nebraskans as new nurses entering the workforce when they graduate.”
Dr. Sebastian said the scholarship funding will support $2,500 per semester until the recipient graduates or the full scholarship allotment has been spent.
After completion of the nursing programs, recipients will be required to practice nursing in Nebraska for a minimum of two years, according to Nebraska DHHS.
For more information, see the announcement from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
The application form is available online.
Dr. Sebastian said the scholarships will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, so she encouraged eligible students to apply right away. For assistance, contact Ken Zeiger, the UNMC College of Nursing’s director of student services.