Scholarship awards will be disbursed based on criteria associated with that particular award. If there are no stipulations, awards will be disbursed at the discretion of the director of the School of Nursing.
Eligibility criteria
Students of West Penn Hospital School of Nursing may be eligible for the following awards:
- Beckel Scholarship — Available to students enrolled at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. All second-year West Penn Hospital School of Nursing student(s) who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 may be eligible for the M. Jane Beckel Scholarship. The Financial Aid and Student Account Office review financial need for student with required GPA. List is provided to faculty to vote. The student with the most votes receives the scholarship.
- Doris Tannehill Weyand Scholarship — Available to students enrolled at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. All first-year West Penn Hospital School of Nursing student(s) enrolled during the spring term can apply for the scholarship. Eligible candidates must be resident of a rural county of Pennsylvania (Somerset, Fayette, Cambria, or Bedford) and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and will be notified by the Financial Aid Office. The eligible student must submit an essay to apply. The scholarship committee will review all essay submissions and pick the best candidate for the scholarship.
- Gearhart Scholarship — The Gearhart trust was originated as a charitable remainder trust by John I. Gearhart in 1973. The Gearhart trust provides scholarship assistance for the students at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing and for the nurses at West Penn Hospital. The scholarship is to be awarded by the scholarship committee. Funds will be awarded in the following order, first to Neighborhood Learning Alliance students and then to the incoming class in the form of a merit scholarship. Allotments, number of students, and amounts of the scholarship differ each year, depending on enrollment.
- H.B. Davis Scholarship — The H.B. Davis scholarship is for second-year West Penn Hospital School of Nursing students who have at least a 3.0 GPA. The Financial Aid Office will reach out to the students who are eligible to apply. To apply for the scholarship, the eligible student(s) will need to write an essay detailing an example where they have demonstrated their leadership abilities in a school, work, or personal experience. The scholarship committee will review all essay submissions and pick the best candidate for the scholarship.
- Karen Jones Scholarship — Available to students enrolled at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. All second-year West Penn Hospital School of Nursing student(s) may be eligible for the $500 Karen Jones Scholarship. The recipient is nominated by faculty based on their demonstration of a “superior” level of caring, empathy, accountability, nursing knowledge, and nursing skills. The student with the most votes will receive the scholarship.
- Kathryn Dinardo Scholarship — Available to students enrolled at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. A first-year West Penn Hospital School of Nursing student may be eligible for the $1,000 Kathryn Dinardo Scholarship. The recipient is nominated by faculty based on their clinical excellence, professionalism, accountability, caring and compassion, IPR skills, and ability to manage clients’ care completely. The student with the most votes will receive the scholarship.
- Mary Hartley Scholarship — Available to students enrolled at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. Mary Hartley awards two scholarships of $6,000 each to two second-year West Penn Hospital School of Nursing students. Faculty nominate candidates for the scholarship based off outstanding clinical skills. The nominated students then submit an essay that is reviewed by Mary Hartley and the scholarship committee.
- West Penn Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Scholarship — Available to students enrolled at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. The West Penn Hospital School of Nursing Alumni annually award one scholarship of $1,000 to a first-year student based on academic achievement, essay, and financial need:
- First year student, GPA of 3.0 or above following completion of the first academic term.
- Eligible students will be given an application and guidelines for essay completion.
