The Foundation for Academic Nursing, the new philanthropic arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), has announced the first 51 students to receive scholarship support through the COVID-19 Nursing Student Support Fund. The program was created to help nursing students nationwide who are facing hardships as a result of the pandemic and need financial assistance to complete their degree programs.
With more than 2,800 applications received, one nursing student from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia were chosen for support following a competitive application process. Students selected will receive $500 awards to help support completion of their nursing programs and/or meet life expenses.
Mary Holcomb, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Aug. ’20) student from Mercy College of Health Sciences, was chosen from the state of Iowa.
“When the College sent out the email about the new scholarship opportunity, I was excited and relieved as COVID-19 has impacted my employment status,” stated Holcomb. “When I received the word I was one of the few recipients, I was thrilled to hear about the extra financial support. I did not realize until later that only one student from each state was chosen. Then I felt very proud of myself and to be able to represent Mercy College of Health Sciences,” stated Holcomb.
The complete gallery of the 51 scholarship recipients is posted on the Foundation’s website.
“As a community of academic nursing leaders, we believe that it is critically important to support nursing students whose education and lives have been directly impacted by the coronavirus,” said AACN President and Chief Executive Office, Deborah Trautman. “Now, more than ever, we need a robust supply of nurses available to combat today’s pandemic as well as future threats to our nation’s public health and safety.”
About American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for academic nursing. AACN works to establish quality standards for nursing education; assists schools in implementing those standards; influences the nursing profession to improve health care; and promotes public support for professional nursing education, research, and practice.
About Mercy College of Health Sciences
Mercy College of Health Sciences is the only private Catholic college in central Iowa and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Located in downtown Des Moines, Mercy College prepares graduates for service and leadership in the healthcare community with a wide range of bachelor, associate, and certificate programs. Visit www.mchs.edu or call (515) 643-3180 to learn how you can start Charting Your Course.
