The College of Nursing at Kent State University received $100,000 in scholarship funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program.

The funds will be turned into 10, $10,000 scholarships available to underrepresented students enrolled in the accelerated nursing program.

“Money is the hardest thing to come by for accelerated students,” said Tracey Carlson, senior undergraduate program director. “Many of them have already used up all their undergraduate loans.”

In order to be eligible for the scholarships, students must be admitted to the program and must meet certain criteria. They must be a minority in the nursing program, meaning ethnic and male students qualify. Applicants must be able to demonstrate financial need and leadership qualities.

Carlson said they will likely award five scholarships in January and the rest in August. The last six of the previous year’s scholarships were just awarded this summer.

This is the third consecutive year Kent State has received funding from the foundation, bringing the total amount received to $400,000. The university is one of five choices the foundation made.

These scholarships are part of a plan to ease a national shortage of nurses, Carlson said. She said she thinks Kent State was chosen because the university’s nursing students are “the best in the area.”

“It’s an awesome opportunity for the students and for Kent State,” she said.

Contact administration reporter Nick Glunt at [email protected].