Bunker Hill Community College Awarded $1.2M Grant for Nursing Scholarships

BOSTON, July 26, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) has received a $1.2 million grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The funds, to be awarded over four years, will provide scholarships for full-time Registered Nursing students from economically or academically disadvantaged backgrounds. Of the 78 grants awarded, BHCC is the only community college and the only institution in Massachusetts to receive a grant.

"We are extremely pleased that HRSA funds will help bright BHCC students achieve their goal of a career in nursing," said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. "This funding will continue the College's commitment to ensuring that all students have the support they need for academic success." Since 1995, HRSA has awarded over $2 million in scholarships to BHCC. These funds have made it possible for approximately 650 students to pursue their Associate Degree in Nursing at the College.

To meet the Boston region's intense demand for registered nurses, BHCC's Nurse Education Program (NEP) has increased enrollment by over 100 students between 2006 and 2015. Sixty-eight percent of NEP graduates in 2015 were economically or academically disadvantaged.

Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) is an initiative of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, which is focused on increasing diversity in the health professions. SDS's goals include expanding graduates who practice in primary care; boosting enrollment and retention of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those from racial and ethnic minority groups; and increasing the number of graduates who work in medically underserved communities. Eligible SDS disciplines include nursing, allied and public health and behavioral and mental health.

Media Contact:
Karen M. Norton, Executive Director of Integrated Marketing and Communications
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617-228-2177; Email: [email protected]

Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts. The College enrolls more than 14,000 students on two campuses and at three satellite locations. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-four percent of the students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls more than 900 international students who come from approximately 100 countries and speak more than 75 languages.

SOURCE Bunker Hill Community College

Related Links

http://www.bhcc.mass.edu