National Foundation Awards $600,000 for Nursing Scholarships

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To help secure the future of the nursing profession and the health of residents throughout the country, The Helene Fuld Health Trust, HSBC Bank USA, N.A. Trustee has awarded a grant of $600,000 to the Foundation of UMDNJ for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-School of Nursing.

One-half of the grant, $300,000, will fund scholarships for students enrolled in the School's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program. The second $300,000 will be held as a permanent endowment fund, using annual income from the endowment to fund scholarships in perpetuity.

"The primary mission of the Helene Fuld Trust is to support and promote the health, welfare and education of student nurses," explained Marianne Caskran, grants administrator of the Helene Fuld Health Trust, HSBC Bank USA, N.A. "This grant will help us to fulfill our mission as we support the outstanding baccalaureate program offered to future nurses at the UMDNJ-School of Nursing."

Since 2004, UMDNJ has offered an accelerated, 15-month BSN degree for individuals who have already earned a bachelor's or master's degree in another field from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution. The accelerated program requires full-time study and is offered on UMDNJ's Newark and Stratford, NJ campuses. Upon earning their BSNs, graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become registered nurses.

"Our second-degree BSN program provides an excellent entry point into nursing for high-achieving women and men from a variety of professional and educational backgrounds," explains Susan Salmond, EdD, RN, dean and professor at the School of Nursing. "As adults who already have earned academic degrees, many of our students have already exhausted their options for financial aid. We are grateful to the Helene Fuld Health Trust for these scholarships that will open up new avenues for the future nurses needed so critically by our health care system."

The Helene Fuld Health Trust is the nation's largest private funder devoted exclusively to nursing students and nursing education.  In 1935 Dr. Leonhard Felix Fuld and his sister, Florentine, created a foundation in honor of their mother, Helene.

UMDNJ-School of Nursing is one of eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey--the nation's largest freestanding public health sciences university with more than 6,000 students on five campuses. The School of Nursing offers bachelor's, master's, post-master's and doctoral degree programs for more than 1300 students. Applications for the BSN program are accepted year round. Prospective students may learn more about the academic program by visiting http://sn.umdnj.edu, or by emailing [email protected].

The Foundation of UMDNJ solicits private sector support for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. To financially support the UMDNJ-School of Nursing, contact Martha Bahamon, director of development at the Foundation of UMDNJ, at (973) 679-4685 or [email protected].

SOURCE Foundation of UMDNJ