Nursing Scholarships

Excellence and Innovation in Nursing

College of Nursing

College of Nursing Scholarships

Application: (Opens March of each calendar year. Deadline is June 15)
Notifications: Sent Summer Semester of each academic year
Awards: Awarded for the Fall Semester of the following academic year

For questions regarding the scholarship process, application, or awarding please contact:
Office of Student Services,
nursing@etsu.edu
(423) 439-4578

To complete the scholarship application, click here 

 

  • Barbara Oakley Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Barbara Oakley Scholarship Endowment was established to honor Barbara Oakley, R.N., B.S.N. for her commitment to nursing education and her advocacy for nursing students. The Endowment will provide scholarships to nursing students in recognition of their dedication to learning and nursing.

    Criteria:

    1. Accepted to BSN
    2. First preference to the highest GPA
    3. Preference to full time students
    4. Active in Professional and Community Activities
    5. Proven potential for Nursing Excellence
  • Betsy Brogan Scholarship Endowment

    Purpose:
    The purpose of the Betsy H. Brogan Scholarship Endowment is to honor the memory of Betsy H. Brogan and to generate scholarships for students majoring in nursing at East Tennessee State University.  Betsy was a 1971 graduate of ETSU's nursing program, and was employed at the Johnson City Medical Center at the time of her untimely death in an airline accident. This fund was established by her husband, James G. Brogan, to create a permanent memorial to her.

    Criteria:

    1. Senior Undergrad or graduate
    2. Full time
    3. Satisfactory GPA
    4. Documented Financial Need should be considered
  • Dorothy K. Parker Nursing Scholarship Endowment

    Purpose:
    The purpose of the Dorothy K. Parker Nursing Scholarship Endowment is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University.   The endowment was established by Mr. C. E. Parker and the Parker family in living memory of Dorothy K. Parker.  

    Criteria:

    1. Undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral Nursing student
    2. Have at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent "B" average for coursework at ETSU or for other college/university credit hours
    3. Demonstrate future promise and potential as a nursing professional
  • Eleanor Lowry Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Eleanor H. Lowry Scholarship Endowment was established to honor Eleanor Lowry, R.N., M.S.N., and the dedication she exhibits to excellence in nursing, and to provide scholarship to nursing students in pursuit of the B.S.N. degree.  The purpose of the fund is to recognize and encourage motivation for, dedication to, and love of nursing which will promote excellence in the profession.

    Criteria:

    1. Accepted to the BSN major
    2. First preference given to the student with the highest ACT/SAT score
    3. GPA consideration
    4. Full time preference
    5. Membership in the Association of Student Nurses
  • Elizabeth Hall Grindstaff Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Endowment was established by Dr. Carroll H. Long in appreciation of Elizabeth Hall Grindstaff and her skills as a surgical nurse.

    Criteria:

    1. Accepted into BSN program
    2. Show financial Need
  • Eula Fields Scholarship

    Purpose:
    Purpose is to to enhance the diversity of the program with experience or qualities that can include, but are not limited to, being a single parent, non-traditional student, active member of a student organization. 

    Criteria:

    1. Single Parent or
    2. Non-traditional Student or
    3. Culturally Diverse or
    4. Member of Student Organization
  • Fern A. Street Nursing Scholarship Endowment

    Purpose:
    The purpose of the Fern A. Street Nursing Scholarship Endowment is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University.

    Criteria:
    The ETSU College of Nursing Scholarship Committee shall consider the following criteria in awarding scholarships.
    Each applicant must:

    1. Have demonstrated financial need;
    2. Be an undergraduate student enrolled in the College of Nursing;
    3. Be in good academic standing for the College of Nursing and the university as a whole;
    4. Clearly show dedication and commitment to the profession of nursing as a future nursing professional.
  • Freda Gill Sigma Chi Nursing Scholarship

    Recipient must be a member of the Zeta Omega chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity who is a declared major in the College of Nursing.

     

  • Guy B. and Miriam O. Wilson Memorial Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Purpose of the Miriam O. Wilson Nursing Memorial Scholarship Endowment is to generate scholarships for junior or senior nursing students in the B.S.N. program at ETSU.  Miriam Oliveros Wilson was a native of St. Augustine, Florida and moved to Johnson City in 1937 to work at the Appalachian Hospital as night supervisor.  She graduated from the Knoxville General Hospital School of Nursing in 1936, and did extra training in surgery at Duke University Hospital.  She married Guy B. Wilson, Sr. in 1939 and lived in Johnson City until her death in December 1992.

    Criteria:

    1. Junior or senior in BSN program
    2. Minimum 3.0 GPA
    3. Documented financial need
    4. Students who are employees of any business operated by the Wilson family will be given priority
  • Harnsberger Family Memorial Scholarship

    Criteria:

    The East Tennessee State University College of Nursing Scholarship Committee shall consider the following criteria in awarding scholarships:

    1. The recipient must be enrolled in the undergraduate program in the College of Nursing.
    2. Applicants must have earned the GPA of 2.75 or better.
    3. Applicants must be resident of either Scott or Washington County in Virginia or Hawkins, Sullivan or Washington County in Tennessee.
  • Jessica Colter Scholarship

    Purpose:
    Jessica Colter was a vibrant twenty-one-year-old nursing student at ETSU. Her life was prematurely ended when the car she was riding in was involved in a tragic accident. At the time, Jessica was studying for her nursing finals that she had been diligently preparing to take. In order to continue Jessica's legacy, her family, friends, and community created the Jessica Colter Scholarship Endowment.

    Jessica worked hard and was passionate about her studies. She encouraged and loved her peers while remaining steadfast in the face of her own adversities. She was determined to become a nurse and continuing her journey to become a nurse practitioner.

    Jessica was an extremely independent, innocent, and beautiful soul. She could light up any room with her gorgeous smile and infectious laugh. Jessica had a huge, giving heart. If there was ever a need, she was always ready and willing to offer her assistance. She would do anything for anyone at a moment's notice. She loved to volunteer with organizations that focused on helping others. Jessica would have made an amazing mother, as she lovingly cared so much for her younger brother, Ty. Jessica embodied characteristics of an ideal nurse.

    Criteria:

    1. Documented financial need may be considered in the selection of the recipient.

    2. Applicants must demonstrate a strong emphasis on family, faith and charity, and handle adversity with grace. They must also embody Jessica's character, as outlined in the Introduction section above.

    3. Preference will be given to residents of Benton, Greene or Washington Counties in TN.

    4. Applicants must be full-time students.

  • Joanna B. Slemons Memorial Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The purpose of the Joanna B. Slemons Memorial Scholarship Endowment is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University.

    Criteria:

    1. be majoring in, or in the case of entering freshmen students, intending to major in nursing at ETSU and registered as pre-BSN students;
    2. have at least a 3.3/B average on the 4.0/A scale for college work, or in the case of entering freshmen, a 3.0 grade point average or an ACT composite score of at least 24.
    3. To remain eligible for an automatic renewal of the scholarship while enrolled, undergraduate recipients must maintain a 3. 0 grade point average during the freshman and sophomore years. Recipients who have been admitted to the College of Nursing must maintain a 3.3 GPA to be eligible for renewal. Master's and doctoral recipients must maintain a 3.3 GPA to be eligible for an automatic renewal of scholarship funds. Recipients of the Joanna B. Slemons Memorial Scholarship who fall below the specified GP A, at the discretion of the College of Nursing Student Affairs Committee, will have one semester to bring the GP A up to the specified level before losing the scholarship funds.
    4. Recipients may be bachelor's, master's, or doctoral students in the ETSU College of Nursing.
  • Jonnie Melissa Graybeal Memorial Scholarship

    For juniors or seniors in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. Students must be full-time and have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The award will be made to the student with the highest demonstrated financial need.

     

  • Kenneth W. and Peggy Jean Emmert Memorial Scholarship

    Kenneth Emmert was a native of Carter County, who joined the U. S. Air Force after graduating from high school. He was assigned to Strategic Air Command as a technician, where he worked on B52’s. Upon discharge, Ken married his high school sweetheart, Peggy. His first job was at North American Ryan in Elizabethton, where he worked for over thirty years until the business closed. He was then hired by ETSU as a boiler technician; he worked here for several years until retirement. Early in their marriage, Peggy was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, and later treated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota; she was even flown there aboard an Air Force Medevac Flight. Throughout her illness, the Emmerts were amazed by, and grateful for the nurses who provided such excellent care. As a result, they chose to commit their entire estate to the College of Nursing, to provide assistance to area students pursing this vital career. The Emmerts were generous throughout their lives, and as a result, their legacies will live on as they touch the lives of generations of nursing students.

    Award Description:
    Scholarships shall be awarded by the College of Nursing Committee. That Committee shall decide the number of scholarships and the value of each, depending on the funds available.

    Purpose:
    To provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at ETSU.

    Eligibility:

    1. Applications should be submitted to the College of Nursing Scholarship Committee by March 1 of each year.
    2. Current ETSU students, transfer students, or non-traditional students shall be eligible for the award.
    3. Once a student is selected to be a recipient, he or she may continue to receive the award to complete a nursing degree, not to exceed four consecutive years providing he or she continues to meet the criteria.

    Criteria:

    1. The applicants must be superior academic students in need of financial assistance.
    2. Applicants must meet all requirements for regular admission to the ETSU Nursing program.
  • Larry Bowles Scholarship

    Purpose:
    To provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at ETSU.

    Criteria:

    1. Full time nursing student
    2. Preference given to a student from Sullivan County
  • Lauralyn Collins Rodifer Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The purpose of the Lauralyn Collins Rodifer Nursing Scholarship Endowment is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students emailed in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University. 

    Criteria:

    1. be an undergraduate student majoring in Nursing at East Tennessee State
      University;
    2. have at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent "B" average for coursework at ETSU or for other college/university credit hours, or in the case of freslunan undergraduate recipients, an equivalent grade point average for high school courses;
    3. in the opinion of the Committee, demonstrate future promise and potential as a Nursing professional.

    Note: The recipients shall be eligible for renewal of the scholarship for a maximum of four years. 

  • Livia Mae Laek Memorial  Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The purpose of the Livia Mae Laek Memorial Scholarship Endowment is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University.

    Requirements:

    1. The applicants must be pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing with preference given to those in the accelerated degree program.
    2. Second preference will be given to 2nd year nursing students.
    3. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
    4. Once a student is selected to be a recipient, he or she may continue to receive the award for four consecutive semesters.
    5. Applicants must meet all requirements for regular admission to ETSU.
    6. Applicants must be full-time students.

     

  • Mayme Frazier Scholarship

    Purpose:
    On April 3, 1986, Mrs. Mayme Frazier died and provided in her Last Will and Testament that a scholarship fund be established at East Tennessee State University.

    Criteria:

    1. Undergraduate or Graduate Nursing student
    2. Highest GPA
    3. Potential for success
    4. Documented financial need
  • Norma Paisley Barker Memorial Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Norma Paisley Barker Scholarship Endowment was established to honor the memory of Norma Paisley Barker, R.N., M.S.N., and the dedication she exhibited to excellence in nursing, and to provide scholarships to nursing students in pursuit of the MSN degree. The purpose of the fund is to recognize and encourage motivation for, dedication to, and love of nursing, which will promote excellence in the profession.

    Criteria:

    1. Accepted to MSN program
    2. Grade Point Average
    3. Member of a StateNurse's Association
    4. Preference given to full time students
  • Northeast Tennessee Behavioral Health Workforce Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Opioid Abatement Council supports funding for these scholarships. Currently, our region has a shortage of every behavioral health profession, resulting in challenges accessing needed care. It is paramount that we address this need, especially with the ongoing opioid and drug epidemics. These scholarships aim to improve behavioral healthcare in Northeast Tennessee by increasing and strengthening the behavioral health workforce through funding pathways to licensed behavioral health professions (Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Counselors, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners). If you wish to pursue one of these fields and serve Northeast Tennessee, please consider applying.

    Preferred qualifications:

    Individuals with lived experience of substance use disorder, mental health illness, or who are at risk for either or both.

    Criteria:

    Be from the region or have established residency in the region.
    Commit to working in underserved NE TN for one year.
    Be a full-time student.
    If seeking consecutive years of funding, learners must earn a B or better in their courses each year to receive funding for the next.
    If working with a site, awardees must work with an approved placement site.
    Each semester, track the number of patients/clients you served and how many hours you spent with them.
    Complete an exit survey within 3 months of completing your program detailing your employment status, employer, and location.
    Attend the semester behavioral health cohort meetings and at least two of the networking nights. Awardees cannot be Pathways scholarship recipients.
    Sign an awardee MOU detailing the above criteria.

    Apply Now:  https://forms.office.com/r/s9NvD8KTAP

  • Patricia Brown Scholarship Endowment

    Purpose:
    The purpose of the Patricia M. Brown Scholarship Endowment is to provide financial assistance to deserving students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at ETSU.  The Endowment is established by Patricia M. Brown, and ETSU alumna who earned a BSN Degree from the College of Nursing in 1962. Ms. Brown served the Veterans Affairs Medical Center as a registered nurse for many years.  She is a long time supporter of ETSU athletics, and a member of the Distinguished President's Trust.

    Criteria:

    1. Accepted into BSN program
    2. Show financial Need
  • Dr. Paul Dishner Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Endowment was established by the estate of Dr. Paul F. Dishner form the proceeds of the sale of the Dishner Farm in Blount County, Tennessee.  The purpose is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at ETSU.

    Criteria:

    1. Full time nursing student, in BSN, MSN or Doctoral Program
    2. Demonstrate Financial Need
  • Phyllis Eorgan Memorial Scholarship

    Requirements:

    Recipient must be a student in the College of Nursing, and must have demonstrated financial need. Preference will be given to first generation college students. Preference will also be given to students from Greene or Washington Counties in TN, followed by students from East and Middle TN.

    Phyllis Ann Eorgan, 1937 -2023, was a Registered Nurse (RN), a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Northeast Tennessee Chapter and Tennessee as well as American Nurses Associations.  Phyllis received several awards during her nursing career including the Nurse of Distinction Award in 2001 from the Tennessee Hospital Association. After working at Johnson City Memorial Hospital and Johnson City Medical Center, she retired from Mountain States Health Alliance in 2006. In addition to being in charge of various units including ICU, ER, and The House as needed, Phyllis was also a career long Nursing Educator who served as Critical Care/Progressive Care Educator at MSHA in her last position before retiring. This scholarship was established by her children.

  • Princess Delilah Foundation Scholarship

    The purpose of the Princess Delilah Foundation Scholarship Endowment is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving graduate students enrolled in College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University.


    The mission of the Princess Delilah Foundation is to honor the memory of Delilah Kennedy Watts by providing support, positive energy, and encouragement to the parents of NICU babies, along with the NICU and PICU nurses that care for them. We want her short life here on Earth to be an example of strength, sacrifice, love, happiness, and the power of prayer. May she continue to touch the lives of people that she has never met, and may we pay forward the kindness, friendship, and generosity that was shown to us during our adventure through life with Delilah. Our mission will be to make her name bring a smile to someone's face every time it is heard, and this foundation to be a
    continuing testimony of her fight, spirit, tenacity, and charm.

    Requirements:

    1. The applicants must be pursuing a graduate degree in Nursing with a focus in pediatrics at the College of Nursing.
    2. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GP A of 3 .2.
    3. Documented financial need should be considered in the selection of the recipient.
    4. Once a student is selected to be a recipient, he or she may continue to receive the award for two consecutive years, as long as all requirements are maintained.
    5. Applicants must meet all requirements for regular admission to ETSU.

  • Randi Fink Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Randi Fink scholarship is in honor of Randi’s son, Emmy Fink. The Fink family knows how tackling one’s dream career can come with obstacles, and feels the importance of helping students succeed. Great nurses are those who become empowered to make a difference in someone else’s life. Emmy is walking each step of his journey with great nurses. It is our goal to help great nurses find their way.

    Criteria:

    1. Annual award for a student in the LPN-BSN accelerated program to assist students with program expenses such as scrubs, ATI, books, etc.
    2. Students from the Crossville cohort are to be given priority.
  • Mrs. Robert L. Gilmer Memorial Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The purpose of this fund is to serve as a memorial for Ms. Robert Lee Gilmer and to provide scholarships to deserving students at ETSU.  The endowment is established through the estate of Ms. Robert Lee Gilmer.  Ms. Gilmer served as Director of Nursing at East Tennessee State University form 1971 until her retirement in 1979.

    Criteria:

    1. Enrollment in the BSN program
    2. Resident of Southwest Virginia with preference given to graduates of high schools in Russell County, VA
    3. Potential for Success
  • Rosaminda Moog Husmillo Scholarship

    Purpose:

    Born and raised in the Philippines, Rosaminda Moog Husmillo emigrated to New York in 1989, recruited as a hospital nurse with dreams of pursuing a better life for her family in the land of opportunity. Through her steadfast faith, hard work, and persistence, she provided a path for her husband, Leo, sons, Augie, Mark, and JR, to move to the United States three years later. During her career, Rosaminda achieved professional certification as an ICU nurse and sustained a lifelong pursuit of continuous learning and training that started at a young age. The family later moved to Johnson City, TN, with all three sons graduating from ETSU. The community and its university provided an environment to forge stronger familial ties and pursue higher education that positively impacted the family in both its personal and professional pursuits. While working at Johnson City Medical Center, Rosaminda thrived in making a positive impact with her patients, her medical teammates, and ETSU nursing students that trained under her guidance. 

    Her devotion to God, dedication to family, and commitment to the nursing profession are life tenets that continue to inspire and motivate her family and the many she impacted. As a reflection of this motivation to make a lasting, positive impact, the Rosaminda Moog Husmillo Scholarship Endowment is created to bestow deserving students with a scholarship that will help their pursuit of a degree with the College of Nursing. The donors hope that the recipients are encouraged to positively impact ETSU, the communities it serves, and the broader medical profession.

    Criteria:

    The College of Nursing Scholarship Committee shall consider the following criteria in awarding scholarships: 


    1. The applicant must be pursuing a degree in nursing and be in good academic standing. 
    2. Applicant must have documented financial need. 
    3. Applicant may be an undergraduate or graduate student. 
    4. Applicant must be a full-time student. 
    5. Priority will be given to first generation college students. 

  • Sandra Matherly Scholarship

    Purpose:
    To provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at ETSU

    Criteria:

    1. Fulltime undergrad
    2. Financial need a consideration
    3. Preference for students from northeast Tennessee
  • Shirley Miller Turkett Scholarship

    Purpose:
    To provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University.


    Mrs. Shirley Sue Miller Turkett and her husband, Dr. A. Keith Turkett, were both passionate about education. Mrs. Turkett taught at East Tennessee State University in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Department. Mrs. Turkett attended Texas Christian University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology from ETSU and a Master's Degree in Community Mental Health Nursing from the University of Tennessee.


    They were both natives of Vernon, Texas and were married in 1959. They spent 56 years together before Dr. Turkett passed away in June 2015. Mrs. Turkett passed away in January 2018.

    Criteria:

    1. Applications should be submitted to the College of Nursing Scholarship Committee
    2. Current ETSU students, transfer students, or non-traditional students shall be eligible for the award
  • Suzanne Parris Lyon Memorial Scholarship

    Purpose:
    This non-renewable scholarship honors the legacy of Suzanne Parris Lyon who was a longtime public health nurse in Eastern Tennessee and was passionate about the importance of higher education.

    Criteria:

    1. Be a rising junior or senior at East Tennessee State University
    2. Must be majoring in the fields of nursing
    3. Must have a cumulative unweighted grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)

    >Note: The committee may consider the following

    1. Prior academic achievement including grade point average and difficulty of curriculum
    2. Preference in selection is given to native residents of Northeast Tennessee
  • Tennessee Nurses Association Scholarship

    Senior Nursing Student with Leadership qualities

    Criteria:

    1. Full time - Minimum GPA 3.0
    2. Member of Local Chapter of Tennessee Association of Student Nurses or American Nursing Association
  • Thelma Broom Hodges Memorial Scholarship

    Purpose:
    The Endowment was established by the family of Thelma Julia Broom Hodges.  Mrs. Hodges started nursing training at the age of seventeen at the Baptist Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina.  She was the youngest admitted student in the nursing program. After completing her training, Thelma started her career as a Registered Nurse in Columbia. She moved to Ridgeland, South Carolina where she continued to work until she retired in 1971. She married Ellis Hodges and raided two children, Harry and Julia, who both attended ETSU and graduated in 1968. Thelma's dedication to nursing and the people of Jasper County inspired her children to endow this scholarship in her memory.  It is their aim to assist students to become RNs and to consider work in small towns or rural areas.

    Criteria:

    1. Rising Junior or Senior BSN student
    2. Minimum GPA of 3.0Full time student
    3. Financial need is not a consideration

Outside resource for potential opportunities (not vetted through CON):
Scholarships for Nursing Majors
https://www.healthjob.org/nursing-scholarships
https://nursejournal.org/articles/nursing-scholarships/




https://nursejournal.org/resources/financial-aid/msn-degree-scholarships/
https://bold.org/scholarships/blog/nursing-scholarships/

https://www.nursepractitionerschools.com/blog/np-scholarships/
Scholarships for Male Nursing Students
https://nursejournal.org/articles/14-best-nursing-scholarships-for-men/

College of Nursing Online Giving

2025.03.31.01 v. 84 | Assistant Dean of Student Services