Scholarships & Awards

Students are encouraged to research grant and scholarship opportunities through resources outside Immaculata University. Many nursing societies and associations, private organizations, and businesses offer grants to all students (including students that are not eligible for need-based financial aid).

Immaculata Scholarships

Alice Leisch Guarino Scholarship
Established in 2017 in memory of Alice Guarino ’07 B.S.N., ’12 M.S.N., this scholarship is awarded to a student with financial need enrolled in the R.N. to B.S.N. or M.S.N. program. The student demonstrates a commitment to continuing education. Please contact the Division of Nursing for information on how to apply.

Karen Valyo RN Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Established in 2021 by Mary Ann Valyo in loving memory of her daughter Karen Valyo, a dedicated and talented registered nurse. Scholarship purpose statement: A freshman BSN student with a 3.0 GPA with financial need. The scholarship will be awarded each year to this student if the GPA is maintained. Please contact the Division of Nursing for information on how to apply.

External Scholarship Resources

Alma Newlin Educational Fund – Encourages and assists high school students, graduates and returning students from the southern Chester County area to be prepared for and to gain employment in medical or healthcare related endeavors.
American Cancer Society – Multiple scholarships available for cancer survivors and graduate nurse focusing on cancer care.
American Holistic Nurses’ Association – Must be a current member of AHNA enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate nursing program related to holistic nursing.
American Nephrology Nurses’ Association – Various scholarship opportunities for ANNA members pursuing a B.S.N. or advanced degree in nursing. Must be a current full member of ANNA for at least two years and be currently employed in nephrology.
Army ROTC Nurse Program Scholarship – Offers two-, three-, and four-year scholarships for undergraduate nursing students who are U.S. citizens.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – This initiative funds tuition for low-income minority students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Barbara Rhomberg Excellence in Nursing Scholarship – this scholarship is for non-traditional nursing degree students. See link for details.
Brandywine Foundation Scholarship
Chi Eta Phi Sorority – Scholarships available to African-American students pursuing undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in nursing. Applicant must be referred by a Chi Eta Phi chapter.
Egoville Nursing Scholar Award: Given to a junior level nursing student in the Immaculata University pre-licensure program. Deadline is typically on May 1st. Please contact the Nursing Division at 484-323-3514 or mhoerman@immaculata.edu for details.
ENA Emergency Nurses Association – For undergraduate, advanced practice, doctoral, and faculty doctoral students.
ExceptionalNurse.com – Offers various undergraduate and graduate scholarships for full-time nursing students with a documented disability.
F.A. Davis Annual Scholarship – F.A. Davis, an independent nursing, medicine, and health sciences publisher, offers an annual scholarship to an undergraduate nursing student in the U.S. or Canada. The deadline to apply is July 15.
Fastweb – A scholarship search that is a comprehensive source of local and national college-specific scholarships.
Healthcare Field Scholarships – This is a list of national scholarships suited for nursing studies that the Georgetown Nursing department compiled for all students.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund – With major corporations HSF is the nation’s largest provider of scholarships and financial aid to Latino/Latina students.
Indian Health Service (IHS) – The Health Professions Scholarship Program is open to full- or part-time American Indian and Alaska Native students seeking an undergraduate or graduate education in the healthcare field; priority is given to graduate students and junior- and senior-level undergrad students. Must be a member of a federally recognized tribe and agree to serve one year in an IHS facility or other program serving Indian people for each year of financial support. Pre-nursing scholarships are also available.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers in Nursing – This is a scholarship program to help alleviate the nursing shortage and increase the diversity of nursing professionals. Through grants to schools of nursing, the program provides scholarships to college graduates without nursing degrees who are enrolled in accelerated baccalaureate and master’s programs.
Martin De Porres Foundation: Applicants must be African American, active members of the Catholic Church, applying to a local Catholic College or University.
Minority Nurse Magazine Scholarship Program – Open to racial and ethnic minority nursing students enrolled in the third or fourth year of an accredited four-year B.S.N. program or in an accelerated program leading to a B.S.N. degree or an accelerated master’s entry nursing program that bypasses the traditional B.S.N. degree (such as a B.A.-to-M.S.N.). Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) – NAHN provides scholarships and financial aid based on academic standing and potential to be a role model for future nursing students.
National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) – NBNA provides scholarships to current students with at least one year left in a nursing program. Applicants must be members of MBNA and be associated with a local chapter.
National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations – Awarded to B.S.N. and master’s degree nursing students who are members of one of the five NCEMNA member associations: Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association, National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, National Black Nurses Association and Philippine Nurses Association of America. Scholarship recipients must be nominated by the association.
National Health Service Corps (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) – In exchange for at least two years of service at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses, the Nursing Scholarship Program pays full tuition, educational costs, and provides a monthly stipend.
National Institutes for Health (NIH) – The NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) offers competitive scholarships to exceptional students from disadvantaged backgrounds that are committed to biomedical, behavioral, and social science research careers at the NIH.
RNtoBSN.org
R.N. to B.S.N. Scholarships

AWARDS

The Wagoner Nursing Medal (R.N. to B.S.N. students only)

The Wagoner Nursing Medal is awarded annually by the Immaculata University Division of Nursing. It is presented at commencement to a deserving graduate in the nursing program who has demonstrated outstanding service to the community and the nursing profession.

Students can nominate themselves or a faculty member can nominate a student. The selection committee will notify students of their nomination. It is then the student’s responsibility to complete the application process and submit the required documents. If faculty are unsure of a nominee’s eligibility for graduation, they should nominate them anyway. Completed nomination packets will be saved until the student’s graduation year.

See the award criteria.

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society

Delta Tau Chapter-at-Large

The International Nursing Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau, is represented at Immaculata University through the Delta Tau Chapter-at-Large. The mission of the Honor Society of Nursing is to support the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide.

The purposes of the Honor Society are:

To recognize superior achievement
To recognize the development of leadership qualities
To foster high professional standards
To encourage creative work
To strengthen commitment to the ideals and purposes of the profession

Membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduates nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing. The society inducts new members once a year.

The criteria for membership follow the guidelines established by Sigma Theta Tau National Nursing Honor Society. Membership is by invitation only. The undergraduate student criteria is:

GPA: Top 35% of the graduating B.S.N. class
Evidence of academic integrity

The graduate student criteria is:

Completed 1/4 of the nursing curriculum
GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0
Evidence of academic integrity

The selection of candidates for membership is conducted yearly. Students completing their degrees between August and May will be inducted in the spring.