The CVS Health Foundation has awarded Rush University College of Nursing a $5,000 scholarship to assist students as they complete their studies to become a family nurse practitioner.
The grant is part of the CVS Health Foundation Advance Practice Nurse and Physician Assistant Scholarship program, which launched this year. The program is aimed at reducing the nationwide shortage of family nurse practitioners and physician assistants by supporting the academic aspirations of the most promising health care professionals of tomorrow. Scholarships are provided to accredited academic institutions across the country and funds are then distributed to physician assistant students through the institution’s internal scholarship process to help cover the cost of tuition, books and academic fees.
“The scholarship will provide our students with funds to cover many of the extra expenses required in addition to tuition,” says Ingrid Forsberg, DNP,FNP-BC, assistant professor in the College of Nursing's Department of Community, Systems and Mental Health Nursing.
Students selected to receive scholarships by their school are in good academic standing and are pursuing an advance practice nursing doctorate as a family nurse practitioner. In addition, scholarship recipients must intern or volunteer with an organization that supports underserved populations. At least 25 percent of the school’s scholarship dollars will be awarded to bilingual students.
“As the need for qualified medical professionals in the United States grows, we know how important having a strong pipeline of family nurse practitioners and physician assistants is to making high-quality, convenient and affordable health care services more accessible,” says Eileen Howard Boone, president of the CVS Health Foundation. “We’re proud to support schools like Rush University College of Nursing, who are providing quality education to students pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner.”