The University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford will begin awarding scholarships to nursing students in the fall of 2016.

University of Saint Joseph website photo

Submitted

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) today announced Aug. 4 that it has received $930,000 in funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to create scholarships dedicated to underrepresented students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) will initially award seven scholarships of $20,000 to $25,000 per year for four years to assist exceptional female students studying full time for a B.S. in Nursing beginning in fall 2016. More scholarships will be offered to deserving students in the future, with a total of 17 planned using the HRSA grant funding.

Dr. Patricia Padula Morgan, chair of the Department of Nursing and Associate Dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences, will serve as project director and provide oversight of the unique aspects of the academic program, including peer or near-peer mentoring, weekly student/faculty advising sessions, supplemental instruction, and workshops.

“The rising cost of college is of primary concern to students, their families and this institution, so we at the University of Saint Joseph are especially thrilled to be able to offer several significant scholarships to qualified students,” said University of Saint Joseph President Rhona Free, Ph.D. “Such an investment will benefit our campus and our community.”

“Providing opportunity for students to enroll in our nationally recognized nursing program is integral in developing the next generation of nurses,” said Raouf N. Boules, Ph.D., Dean, School of Health and Natural Sciences. “Equally important, these scholarship recipients will reinforce the mission of our Sisters of Mercy founders by serving medically underserved communities during their clinical rotations.”

Thursday’s announcement of the HRSA-funded scholarship program follows USJ’s statements earlier this year about its reduction in room and board costs, elimination of its housing amenities fees, and free on-campus housing for Hartford Promise students.

The University of Saint Joseph is recognized in Connecticut and nationally for its pioneering work in biology, chemistry, mathematical sciences, nursing, nutrition and dietetics.  USJ offers a range of degree options at the undergraduate and graduate level.  While this grant is specifically for direct-entry into the undergraduate nursing major, USJ also offers pre-Nursing, online, accelerated, and graduate programs.  For more information about the Nursing programs at the University of Saint Joseph, please visit [email protected].