Award

Student demographic data recently compiled by Navigator from three of the four area nursing schools reveals that 64% of students enrolled in Birmingham area nursing School’s are employed and work 31+ hours while in school, and many also have small children and families at home to care for. According to these students, money / financial assistance is the number one factor essential to their continuation in school, followed by child care and tutoring / mentoring. The financial strain of unexpected personal live events such as a loss of employment or divorce often forces students to drop out of school, and once they drop out, many never re-enroll. In fact, promising students often leave school due to the lack of relatively small amounts of money, often well under $5,000.

Based on this needs assessment, the Board of Director’s initiated the Navigator Enrichment Award for Nursing School Success. This program was specifically designed to assist pre-licensure nursing students struggling to maintain work / life balance while successfully completing their final year of education. Through the timing of this award, the Navigator Enrichment Award allows the Dean’s of the area nursing school’s to respond to unanticipated student needs that all too often arise after other scholarship money has already been distributed. Emergency funds of this nature are rarely available.

Three awards totaling $4,500 were distributed during Navigator’s pilot program in 2009. Applicants were required to demonstrate financial need, maintain a GPA of 2.5 and commit to becoming a nurse mentor for a minimum of one year after graduation. All three recipients were in their final semester of nursing school when they received their award. With the help of the Navigator Enrichment Award, all three students graduated from their respective schools.

The scholarships are now awarded on a quarterly basis. In the first quarter of 2010, Navigator awarded four scholarships totaling $6,000.