American Sentinel University to Award Eight Scholarships and Offer Reduced Tuition for Students Living or Working in Rural Areas

DENVER, March 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The obstacles faced by healthcare providers and patients in rural areas are vastly different than those in urban areas. To help overcome rural healthcare disparities, American Sentinel University announced today it will award eight "Rural Health" scholarships per calendar year to nursing students who live or work in a designated rural area or designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Additionally, all American Sentinel students who work or reside in an HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) area or HSPA will be eligible to receive a discounted tuition rate.

American Sentinel will award four $5,000 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) scholarships per year, two $7,500 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) scholarships per year, and two $10,000 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholarships per year. The recipients will be selected based on the candidate's excellence in the following areas: Community Service, Personal Commitment to Education, Leadership Potential and Commitment to the Healthcare Profession. To be eligible, students must live or work in one of the following:

• Rural designated area
• Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or
• Federally Qualified Health Center or rural health clinics* or
• Federally recognized Native American Tribes and Alaskan Natives (including all Indian Health Services)

All American Sentinel students who live or work in a FORHP designated zip code are eligible to receive 15 to 23 percent off standard tuition pricing – saving students thousands of dollars.

Healthcare Learning Innovations, a division of American Sentinel University, will also offer free virtual healthcare simulations and scenarios to rural schools and hospitals. Contact Healthcare Learning Innovations for more information.

"Because we are an online healthcare school, we feel we are in a unique position to help nurses living and working in rural areas," said Dr. Richard Oliver, Chief Executive Officer of American Sentinel University. "Our desire is to equip rural nurses with the knowledge they need to help improve rural healthcare and tackle rural health challenges in their communities. Rural nurses no longer have to commute for hours to get to class; all they need is an internet connection."

For BSN applicants, there will be a new "Rural Health" scholarship winner every quarter. Applicants who are not chosen during one quarter will be considered in the following cycles (March, June, September and December). The deadline for first quarter scholarship applications is March 15, 2020. For MSN and DNP applicants there will be two scholarship winners each year (March and September). The deadline for the first scholarship is March 15, 2020.

For more information about rural health pricing or to apply for American Sentinel's "Rural Health" scholarships, please visit https://www.americansentinel.edu/financial-information/paying-for-school/.

*facilities that receive federal grants to provide healthcare to underserved populations.

About American Sentinel University

American Sentinel University delivers accredited online degree programs in nursing (BSN, MSN, and DNP) and healthcare management (MBA Healthcare). Its affordable, flexible bachelor's and master's nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission for the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), of One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington, D.C., 20036. The DNP program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) of 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Ga., 30326. The University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), 1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 234-5100, www.deac.org

In June 2016, the Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees voted to grant American Sentinel University the status of candidate for accreditation. Institutions seeking accreditation by HLC are required to complete a four-year period of candidacy before being evaluated for full accreditation. To earn and maintain candidacy, American Sentinel must fully meet the Commission's Eligibility Requirements and Assumed Practices and demonstrate the capacity to meet all the Criteria for Accreditation within the candidacy period.

SOURCE American Sentinel University

Related Links

http://www.americansentinel.edu