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RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program
NAU School of Nursing is pleased to be among the first institutions in the nation to
receive funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) through
RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship
Program. Grants provided through this competitive program will be used for scholarships
to increase the number of students enrolled in NAU’s accelerated baccalaureate nursing
program. This groundbreaking national initiative, launched by RWJF and the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), aims to help alleviate the nation’s nursing
shortage by dramatically expanding the pipeline of students in accelerated nursing
programs. The School of Nursing was awarded fifteen $10,000 scholarships to be used
for student tuition, academic fees, and living expenses while enrolled in the Accelerated
Nursing Program. Students starting in the May 2009 cohort are eligible for the scholarships.
Through the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program, the $10,000 scholarships will be
distributed to entry-level nursing students in accelerated programs during the 2008-2009 academic
year. Award preference is given to students from groups underrepresented in nursing, or from
disadvantaged backgrounds. Grant funding also will be used by the School of Nursing to help
leverage new faculty resources, and provide mentoring and leadership development resources to
ensure successful program completion by scholarship recipients. "This program aims to safeguard
the health of the nation by helping to ease the nurse and nurse faculty shortage," said RWJF
President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A. "This new initiative also will advance our
strategic goal of promoting leadership in the health professions."
The RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program supports accelerated programs, which
offer the most efficient route to licensure as a registered nurse for adults who have already
completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree in a discipline other than nursing. Although
enrollment in these programs has steadily increased over the past few years, many potential
students are unable to enroll since already having a college degree disqualifies them for
receiving most federal financial aid programs for entry-level students. The New Careers in
Nursing scholarships address this problem, and will also address the overall nursing shortage,
by enabling hundreds of students to launch their nursing careers through accelerated education.
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