Asian Nursing Scholarship Award Program

April 2004 – Philadelphia, PA. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson College of Health Professions and the Asian American Women's Coalition announce a nursing scholarship available to a female member of the Asian community in the Philadelphia.

The Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Asian Nursing Scholarship Award Program will provide one student with support for four years of study towards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). Scholarship applicants must be female students of Asian descent who are in their senior year of high school and who have been accepted into the Jefferson College of Health Professions Nursing program for their final two years of college. Fluency in an Asian dialect is preferred.

“The hospital and the university share a tradition of partnership and deep commitment to Philadelphia's Asian community,” shares Mary Schaal, RN, EdD, Chair of the JCHP Department of Nursing. “For years, both organizations have reached out to improve healthcare for Asian community members, establishing the Chinese Health Information Center, providing bilingual staff in many medical offices, and sending outreach nurses into the community.” The scholarship program aims to further enhance this relationship by supporting the cost of a BSN for a student from the community.

Jefferson College of Health Professions (JCHP) is an upper division school, which means that students do not enroll at the college until their junior year. Through the Plan A College Education (PACE) program, high school seniors can receive advance admission to JCHP. Once accepted, admission is guaranteed for the junior year, provided that the student completes all prerequisite courses and maintains the appropriate grade point average. Students can take the first two years of classes at community college, at JCHP's Department of General Studies, or at another college or university.

Students must be accepted into the PACE program to be eligible for the Asian Nursing Scholarship, which is funded by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. During the recipient's freshman and sophomore years, she will receive $1,000 each year. When she enrolls in the JCHP Department of Nursing to complete her degree, she will receive $9,000 each year. In return for this financial support, the recipient must agree to practice as a nurse at the hospital for two years after graduation.

To apply, eligible individuals must complete the Asian Nursing Scholarship application and submit a 250-word essay expressing interest in nursing as well as a commitment to the Asian community in Philadelphia. Each candidate must submit two letters of recommendation, along with official high school transcripts and SAT scores. If English is not the student's native language, a TOEFL test is also required.

Representatives of the JCHP Department of Nursing, the hospital's Department of Nursing Service and the Asian American Women's Coalition will collaborate in the selection of the scholarship recipient.

Interested candidates should contact Grace Wang at 215-503-1041 or grace.wang@jefferson.edu at Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson College of Health Professions, Office of Admissions and Enrollment Management.

Media Contact:

Jane Clinton
Jefferson College of Health Professions
215-503-9865

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