Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students - Northwestern State University of Louisiana proposes Preparing Associate of Science in Nursing Students for Practice in Rural and Medically Vulnerable Communities to provide scholarship support to eligible, full-time Associate of Science in Nursing students from economically, educationally, or geographically vulnerable backgrounds who demonstrate financial need. The project will reduce financial barriers that may interfere with enrollment, retention, progression, and degree completion while strengthening the pipeline of registered nurses prepared to support primary care delivery and serve rural and other medically vulnerable communities. The project builds on the distinctive reach and structure of Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s Associate of Science in Nursing program. The program is delivered at the university’s main campus in Natchitoches and at off-campus instructional sites in Shreveport, Alexandria, and Leesville/Fort Polk and serves a 15-parish region across central, northwest, and west-central Louisiana. Ten of the 15 parishes are nonmetropolitan, and many communities in the service area experience healthcare workforce shortages, geographic barriers, poverty, transportation limitations, and limited access to services. During academic years 2022–2023 through 2024–2025, the program enrolled 795 full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Of those students, 94.6% received financial assistance, yet their average unmet financial need was $9,175.87. During the same period, the program graduated 297 full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Northwestern State University of Louisiana requests $650,000 annually for student scholarships during the five-year project period. For planning purposes, the project anticipates supporting approximately 40 eligible students each year. Individual award amounts will be based on verified unmet financial need, cost of attendance, other financial assistance, severe financial hardship, and available funding. Scholarships will support allowable tuition, educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses and will be disbursed during fall, spring, and summer academic periods, as applicable. Because students must remain enrolled throughout the year while completing intensive classroom, laboratory, simulation, and clinical requirements, scholarship support will be coordinated across the full academic cycle rather than provided as a one-time annual award. The project will use an integrated model that combines need-based scholarships with continuous academic monitoring, faculty advising and mentoring, tutoring, remediation, laboratory and simulation practice, and referrals to university student-support services. Students will complete clinical learning experiences in settings that support primary care delivery and in rural and other medically vulnerable communities and will receive career preparation, employer engagement, and information about registered nursing opportunities in these settings and communities. The university will identify and verify qualifying clinical settings, document recipient placements, and track graduate employment through one year after program completion. The project will strengthen the health professions and nursing workforce by supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to practice in primary care and in medically vulnerable communities. It will increase enrollment and retention of full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds; increase the number of graduates employed in registered nursing roles in primary care settings; and increase the number of graduates working in rural, Tribal, and other medically vulnerable communities. Through coordinated financial assistance, student-success services, clinical education, workforce partnerships, and systematic outcome tracking, the project will expand access to nursing education and strengthen Louisiana’s registered nursing workforce.
