Removing Financial Barriers While Filling Workforce Needs
A scholarship “allows students to focus on learning, growing, and preparing to serve patients and communities with excellence and compassion,” shared Dean Vinciya Pandian at the 2026 Scholarship and Awards Banquet.
Nursing education is rigorous and time-intensive, often limiting how much students can work while balancing classes, labs, clinical hours, and exams. Scholarships ease that pressure by helping students stay focused and fully engaged in the experiences that shape confident, practice-ready nurses.
Financial support can be the difference between simply getting through nursing school and truly thriving. By investing in access and affordability, scholarships allow students to spend less time worrying about costs and more time doing what they came to do: learn, grow, and prepare to care for others. When students are supported, they are better positioned to persist, excel, and enter the workforce ready to serve their communities with skill and compassion.
At the College of Nursing, that impact is strengthened through partnerships within community that share a commitment to student success. Together, the college and its partners deliver exceptional, student-centered education—not only through academic excellence, but by removing barriers that can stand in the way of progress. Scholarships are one of the most direct and meaningful ways to support that goal.
Scholars Programs
With support from UT Medical , the BSN and ABSN Scholars program allows students to pursue their degrees with added confidence and a clear path forward. Through this program, students who agree to a three-year commitment to work at UT Medical after graduation receive last-dollar scholarship support, along with hands-on clinical training in the same environment where they will later begin their careers.
For ABSN Scholar Griffin Meeker, the scholarship has provided financial assistance and it a peace of mind during an intense, fast-paced program.
“It has allowed me to focus more on the schoolwork and put more hours into studying and practicing skills, instead of worrying about how I am going to pay for school,” Meeker shared. “I am beyond grateful for the opportunity, and I am thankful that I was chosen for this scholarship!”
BSN Scholar Annabelle Sprinkle is also thankful for the financial support as well as the validation of her hard work by being chosen for the program.
“BSN Scholars has absolutely changed my life for the better. I feel like my life has more direction and a realistic future to look forward to. My family has had so much relief without the financial burden of tuition, so I was able to move out and have extra money to be more independent. Additionally, the scholarship has allowed me to feel more validated for my academics and hard work as a UT student.”
This semester, a total of 174 students are earning their degree with support from the Scholars program with additional support expected for RN to BSN students in the future
Conway Nursing Scholarship
The Bedford Falls Foundation also plays a vital role in supporting future nurses through the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship, which provides 20 BSN students with $8,750 per year. The foundation’s goal is to help prepare the next generation of nurses with a high-quality education, reduce student debt, and support educational partners working to address the nursing workforce shortage.
“Receiving the Conway scholarship has been such a blessing this school year! In college I pay for almost all my expenses on my own, so this scholarship has allowed me less stress regarding my finances and school tuition,” shared BSN junior Shay McDonell. “It has allowed me to focus solely on school and not worry about picking up more shifts at the hospital; this scholarship has truly meant more than anyone can realize, so I am so thankful and blessed to receive it this year.”
Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital PRN Enhancement Program
At Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, workforce needs are being addressed through the Pediatric Registered Nurse Enhancement Program, which allows students to begin pediatric training the summer before their senior year. With support from David and Deborah Stevens’ endowment, students receive summer tuition as well as a stipend for both fall and spring semesters, allowing them to focus on academics and clinical experiences.
“Being a part of the PRN Program has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my nursing education,” shared senior Lydia Wood. “It’s exciting to be part of a program that invests in students and helps prepare us for our future pediatric careers.”
Through the program, Wood gained hands-on experience working alongside pediatric nurses and participated in opportunities that strengthened her confidence and affirmed her passion for pediatric nursing. “I’m incredibly thankful for everything the PRN Enhancement Program has given me,” she said. “It has not only eased the financial burden of nursing school, but it has also helped shape the kind of nurse I hope to become.” After graduation, Wood hopes to return to Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital as a registered nurse.
Investing in the Next Generation
Scholarships ease the financial burden of earning a degree, providing support students can feel immediately as they balance coursework, clinical hours, and the demands of everyday life. That relief matters in a program like nursing, where financial stress can easily compete with study time, skill practice, and overall well-being.
But scholarships do more than help students make it through school. When students have the resources to stay focused and fully engage in their education, they can dig deeper, study harder, and graduate more prepared to care for patients in the halls of our hospitals and clinics.
By building partnerships and supporting Vol Nursing students, donors and community organizations play a direct role in shaping the next generation of nurses. These investments strengthen not only individual students, but also the workforce and the communities they will serve—helping ensure next-level nursing is ready for what’s ahead.
Contacts:
Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)
Lauren Bryant ([email protected], 865-974-8250)