Through a recent grant, Accelerated BSN students in the College of Nursing now have access to more financial aid opportunities to assist them in the completion of the program. The $900,000 grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust was awarded to the college in October to fund scholarships exclusively for students enrolled in the Accelerated BSN program.

The Helene Fuld Health Trust scholarship is significant because these second-degree students do not have access to the same financial aid opportunities that Traditional BSN students have, said Anna McDaniel, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and the Linda Harman Aiken Professor.

“Prevalent scholarship opportunities like Bright Futures are not available to students who have previously completed an undergraduate degree, so many of these students have to find alternative funding sources, take out loans or pay for the program themselves,” McDaniel said. “We are grateful that the University of Florida College of Nursing was recognized by the Helene Fuld Health Trust as a lead provider of nursing professionals in the state of Florida. This grant is vital in providing support to ensure our accelerated students have the ability to complete the program while alleviating some of the stress of financial obligations.”

The primary mission of the trust is to “support and promote the health, welfare and education of student nurses.” By demonstrating its support of BSN programs at leading nursing schools through an invitation and application process, the trust acknowledges the increased complexity of and sophisticated knowledge required for health care delivery. This is the second time the College of Nursing has been a recipient of a Helene Fuld Health Trust grant, following a $600,000 grant in 2009 that also supported Accelerated BSN students.

Danette Trimboli is an Accelerated BSN student at the College of Nursing who received the Helene Fuld Health Trust scholarship this year. Trimboli, who has a previous degree in telecommunications, is set to graduate this summer and already has a position lined up in the trauma intensive care unit at UF Health Shands Hospital.

“This scholarship was a huge blessing for me,” Trimboli said. “It helped me when money was stretched thin and allowed me to pay for my education without sacrificing other necessities. I am very grateful to the Helene Fuld Health Trust for their generosity and dedication to helping future nurses.”