Ringing in the holiday season, Kaiser Permanente announced today that 67 nursing students from 27 Southern California colleges will receive a total of $150,500 in scholarship funds to help meet expenses and complete their education.
As one of the largest employers of nurses in California, Kaiser Permanente’s support to build California’s nursing workforce will exceed $4 million annually for Nursing Pathways, career ladder programs, nursing scholarships, grants to colleges, and forgivable loans.
One example is the $302,500 awarded this year to 126 California nursing students through the Deloras Jones RN Scholarship Program. This scholarship program has awarded $2.8 million to more than 1,600 students since it was established in 2001.
Scholarships of $1,000 to $2,500 are based primarily on financial need to assist individuals who are pursuing nursing degrees in the following categories: Academic Excellence (minimum 3.9 GPA required for this category only); Graduate/Doctoral Studies (registered nurses pursuing an MSN, DNSc or PhD with a minimum 3.0 GPA required); Underrepresented Groups in Nursing (minority and male students); and Nursing as a Second Career. Additionally, a $1,000 scholarship was awarded to a student in each nursing program affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
$5,000 scholarships are also granted to Kaiser Permanente employees in the “Excellence in Bachelor’s Degree Nursing” special category. These scholarships are intended to recognize and reward employees who demonstrate a commitment to leadership, education and excellence in nursing practice, and who embody Deloras’ spirit and dedication in their daily lives. Deloras Jones retired as Kaiser Permanente’s Director of Divisional Nursing Services for California in 2000, after 34-years, to continue a career dedicated to professional nursing and leadership.
As a good new year’s resolution, nursing students are encouraged to contact their school’s nursing or financial aid office at the beginning of the year for information on Kaiser Permanente’s scholarships and forgivable loans, or visit the Kaiser Permanente Student Financial Aid Program’s website at: http://financialaid.kp.org, or call the Program’s toll-free number at (866) 232-2934.
The Southern California participating colleges (by area) are:
Inland Empire: Chaffey College; Loma Linda University; San Bernardino Valley College; Western University-Pomona; and Victor Valley Community College.
Los Angeles: Azusa Pacific University; Cerritos College; Rio Hondo College; California State College-Dominguez Hills; California State University-Los Angeles; Mount St. Mary’s; University of Phoenix-Gardena, Los Angeles and Pasadena.
Orange County: California State University-Fullerton; Cypress College; Golden West College; Saddleback College; Santa Ana Community; and University of California-Irvine.
San Diego County: California State University-San Marcos; Mira Costa College; Southwestern College; and University of San Diego.
San Fernando Valley and Lancaster: Antelope Valley College; California State University-Northridge; and Los Angeles Valley College.
Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.2 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Region includes more than 49,919 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at www.kaiserpermanente.org.