The Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC) is offering up to $150,000 in scholarships to encourage more nurses and prospective nursing students to earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) and ensure safe, high-quality nursing care in the Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee and Desoto counties region. In the midst of a persistent healthcare staffing shortage, nurses play a pivotal role safeguarding patients across all hospital and healthcare settings – inpatient, outpatient and home health care. Encouraging more nurses to remain or return to school and earn bachelor’s degrees better prepares them for the challenges in today’s complex healthcare environment.

This year, the Manatee Community Foundation contributed $100,000 to encourage more nurses and nursing students to earn their BSNs in locally accredited nursing programs, with hopes that they offset the region’s nursing shortage by putting down roots and continue working in the community after they graduate. Since 2016, SNAC has awarded $264,000 in nursing scholarships to 72 local recipients and nursing students pursuing BSN degrees. The deadline to apply for the scholarships is March 1, 2020. To be eligible, applicants must live or work at a medical facility within the SNAC region (Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee, & Desoto), or be a graduate of a high school from one of those counties. Applicants also must: have submitted an application for acceptance to an accredited nursing bachelor’s program, plan to be a full or part-time student, demonstrate financial need, and obtain at least one recommendation from an employer or faculty/instructor.

Recipients are chosen by the SNAC Selection Committee; scholarships are approved and administered by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Foundations supporting SNAC include: Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Patterson Foundation, Burruss Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation, Lela D. Jackson Foundation, Janice S. Kelly Memorial Foundation, Rita B. Lamere Memorial Foundation, and Sarah Greer Mayer Fund of the Community Foundation, Manatee Community Foundation, Charlotte Community Foundation, and CareerEdge. 

For information about SNAC, visit snac4fl.org. You can apply for the scholarships online at cfsarasota.org/students/scholarship-opportunities