Joan Hamel Scholarship for Nurses

The Kansas Health Care Association's Nursing Advisory Committee (NAC) is pleased to sponsor the Joan Hamel Nursing Education Scholarship Program. KHCA will award up to $2,000 in scholarship grants to KHCA or KCAL member facility employees who wish to further their nursing education.

Only one scholarship per facility may be awarded per academic year. The scholarship recipients will be selected by the Nursing Advisory Committee at their next meeting following receipt of the application and the recipients will be notified by KHCA/KCAL. The applications will be reviewed based on the following factors:

• Facility Scholarship - Applicants must first receive a scholarship from the sponsoring KHCA/KCAL member facility. The KHCA/KCAL Joan Hamel Nursing Scholarship Fund will match, up to $500 per semester, the scholarship funds received from the sponsoring facility. For LPN, up to two semesters may be approved. For RN programs, up to four semesters may be approved.
• The NAC board retains the prerogative to approve non-traditional nursing education for payment through the Joan Hamel Scholarship funds. Funds are not available for fulfilling prerequisite classes. Examples include: IV Therapy, Gero Nurse Prep, IPCO 2.0, and Infection Preventionist Certification.
• Academically Accepted - The facility may submit an application prior to acceptance into a school of nursing. Applicant must be accepted to an accredited school of nursing within twelve months of the scholarship selection for the funds to be awarded. The scholarship will be sent directly to the school of nursing at the appropriate time following verification of acceptance of the student into the program. Applicant must remain academically eligible for the second semester in order for the second half funds to be dispensed.
• Employment Agreement - Applicant must agree to work in the sponsoring KHCA/KCAL member facility for a minimum of one year after graduation or for a period of time deemed reasonable and appropriate by the sponsoring facility. The sponsoring facility may require a longer post-graduation employment period.
• Educational Endeavor - Applicants will not be discriminated against based on level of educational endeavor other than those imposed by the facility.
• Requirements - Applicants must include letters of recommendation from the administrator and/or DON. Selection of applicants is at the discretion of the KHCA Nursing Advisory Committee. However, all selection decisions and awards shall be made without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
• Incomplete Applications - Only applications that are submitted complete with attachments as described above will be considered by the scholarship selection committee. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will be returned to the applicant.

Enclosed are the following:

• Application Form - The application form must be completed by the applicant, endorsed by the sponsoring facility, and returned to the KHCA/KCAL office by physical mail, email or fax.