Ball State University’s School of Nursing has received a $150,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations to provide scholarships for undergraduate nursing students with financial need, helping expand access and support students as they progress toward their degrees.
The three-year grant will provide 30 $1,500 scholarships each year to baccalaureate nursing students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, as well as to students facing significant financial difficulties that could affect their ability to continue their education.
“Support like this expands access to a Ball State education and creates opportunities for students who might otherwise face financial barriers,” said Dr. Scott Rutledge, dean of the College of Health. “We are grateful to the Hearst Foundations for its investment in our students and in the future of the health professions.”
The scholarships are designed to reach students at different stages of their undergraduate nursing education. That includes students who have completed at least one year at Ball State but have not yet been formally admitted to the nursing program—a group often ineligible for nursing scholarships reserved for students already admitted to the professional program.
Ball State’s School of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through four pathways: a regular concentration, a Degree in 3 concentration, an accelerated second-baccalaureate concentration, and LPN-to-BS concentrations. Students combine classroom instruction with hands-on learning in simulation laboratories and clinical experiences at sites throughout East Central Indiana.
The School’s simulation and skills laboratories provide experience in a variety of care environments, including hospital, clinic, and home settings. Faculty create realistic patient scenarios in areas including labor and delivery, pediatrics, mental health, adult health, and critical care.
“We know that financial challenges can create real barriers for students as they work toward completing a demanding nursing degree,” said Dr. Karrie Osborne, director of Ball State’s School of Nursing. “These scholarships will help close some of those gaps so students can continue progressing toward graduation and ultimately enter the nursing workforce.”
Recipients of the scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year have been selected. The grant funding is held in the Ball State University Foundation’s Pathways to Nursing Success Fund, which can also accept gifts from alumni, donors, and community partners. Those interested in supporting Ball State nursing students can give online through the College of Health, select the School of Nursing fund, and then specify Hearst Foundations in the comments.
“One of the most exciting aspects of this funding is that it allows us to build on the Hearst Foundations’ initial investment,” Dr. Osborne said. “Additional gifts to this fund could allow us to provide larger scholarships and support more students. It creates an opportunity for people who care about our students and the future of the nursing workforce to help this support grow over time.”
The Hearst Foundations, founded in 1946, provides philanthropic support to nonprofit organizations and institutions across the United States, with a focus on education, health, culture, and social service.
For more information about Ball State’s School of Nursing, visit the School of Nursing website, email nursing@bsu.edu, or call 765-285-5571.