Charlotte, N.C. -- Accredited, online Western Governors University has announced the creation of a new $10-million scholarship fund — Heartbeat of Healthcare — to support its registered nurse (RN) students joining the redesigned Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN) and the bridge Master of Science in Nursing (RN-to-MSN) program at its Michael O. Leavitt School of Health. The investment, running through June 2025, aims to advance access to the university’s high-quality nursing program and address the demand for more baccalaureate and graduate nurses for improved patient care.

WGU established an affiliate in North Carolina in 2017 and currently has more than 5,400 students enrolled in the state, including 739 enrolled in the Leavitt School of Health. Over the last 12 months, WGU has awarded more than $1.1. million in scholarships in North Carolina.

WGU’s Heartbeat of Healthcare scholarship will be awarded after a thorough evaluation of various criteria, including the candidate’s academic record, financial need, readiness for online study at WGU, and current competency. Students who apply for the scholarship will be reviewed for support in one of the two tiers:

Tier 1: Full tuition scholarship for up to two terms available to 100 recipients across the country.

Tier 2: A $2,500-scholarship available to all other qualifying applicants ($1,250 per term for up to two terms).

“Nurses are truly the heartbeat of the healthcare industry, yet nursing education remains expensive and difficult to obtain due to a shortage of nursing faculty,” said Ben Coulter, Ed.D., chancellor of WGU North Carolina and Southeast regional director. “This scholarship, in addition to WGU’s affordable competency-based model of education, is our way of extending care to nursing students as they prepare to advance professionally in their caregiving journey.”

To learn more about the scholarship visit https://tinyurl.com/heartbeatbsn.