Students of nursing overcome economic challenges to academic success
November 2008 — Most college students never have to choose between buying books and paying rent, but for those faced with such a difficult choice, there is a ray of hope.
The College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ (CNHS) Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program has received a very generous federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the second year in a row, ensuring that fewer students will have to choose between basic necessities and their education.
HRSA is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services that seeks to improve healthcare in underserved communities. This extensive grant program addresses many problems within the healthcare field, including economic disparities among medical students. With an estimated 20% of full-time nursing students considered economically disadvantaged, these scholarships can mean the difference between graduating and dropping out.
“In the past we’ve literally had students living out of cars,” says Dr. Deborah Mahony, director of student affairs and associate professor of nursing, who oversaw this year’s grant application.
The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program seeks to take pressure off students by providing them some additional assistance in order for them to succeed. And, with the nation still facing a critical nursing shortage, it is vital to graduate as many nursing students as possible.
To apply for a scholarship, students must first register with the university’s financial aid office to make sure they can receive federal funding under standard regulations. Once financial need has been established, the scholarship committee also takes into account the number of hours a student works outside of school because, as the grant application states: “Success in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences is inversely related to the number of hours spent working outside of the college.”
Given the college’s demanding workload, many students simply can’t succeed while working full-time. “We’ve had students fall asleep during lectures not because they’re bored, but because they’re exhausted,” explains Mahony.
Before 2007, the HRSA grant program wasn’t seen as a large source of funding. In 2005, the college was awarded $5,000, in 2006 $15,000. It wasn’t until Greer Glazer, the college’s dean, discovered that this grant was a major funding source for other nursing programs that it became a focus. In response, 2007 saw Mahony and Peter Terres, student affairs specialist, putting in a major effort into securing the proper statistics to show the economic disparities of UMass Boston nursing students. Collecting these data became a focal point of securing this grant through a school-wide effort between faculty and students. The result was a much more in depth reflection of the nursing program’s diverse student body.
“We reached out to all of the students and let them know about this scholarship,” says Mahony. The student response was encouraging and around 90% who applied to the program received some form of funding ranging from about $250 to $3,000 annually. “Even if it is just enough to buy books, it makes a difference to these students,” says Mahony
“UMass Boston fits really well with the HRSA’s mission,” notes Terres. An estimated 38% of the university’s student body is made up of minorities; many are first-generation college students and come from disadvantaged economic backgrounds. UMass Boston’s commitment to providing an affordable education for people of all backgrounds pairs nicely with the HRSA’s goal of eliminating economic diversities in healthcare. But even then, Mahony and Terres’ expectations were conservative. “My goal was $50,000,” Mahony laughs. Instead, they were granted $171,000. This year the award has been slightly less, $161,049.08, due in part to cuts in federal funding and a slowing economy, but Mahony and Terres remain optimistic for the future: “This is a very effective grant. Most students who benefit from this program go on to work in underserved communities and have a fundamental effect on their citizens,” says Terres.
By Emily Sullivan, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
[Contact: Deborah Mahony; deborah.mahony@umb.edu or Peter Terres: peter.terres@umb.edu]