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This option for graduate nursing students is available thanks to funding that the College of Nursing has received from NFLP for more than a decade. This loan opportunity is made possible through grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Health Resources and Services Administration. With the NFLP opportunity, tuition and fees are funded for graduate nursing students who intend to teach in an accredited school of nursing (at a two-year or four-year institution) for four years following graduation. When the teaching requirement is fulfilled, up to 85% of the loan is forgiven. To be eligible for this program, students must take one of the four approved education courses during their graduate program. Information about NFLP funding is sent to Ph.D., M.S.-Nurse Educator and DNP students enrolled at ������Ƶ before the start of each academic semester.

Purpose of the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Project

1. To increase the admission, retention and graduation rates of full-time Bachelor of Science in Nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds including students who are members of racial/ethnic minority groups and first-generation nursing students at South Dakota State University College of Nursing.
2. To improve the recruitment of disadvantaged Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates in rural primary care and/or medically underserved communities.

To be eligible to receive federal student aid, you must:

• Be a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident of the United States or a foreign national having in his/her possession a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States.
• Submit documentation of economic disadvantage status via federal taxes and FAFSA.
• Be enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) in the nursing major.
• Participate in SDS project activities, fill out all the required surveys needed for project performance reporting, remain in good academic standing and commit to work as an RN after graduation in medically underserved communities according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Bureau of Health Workforce- HRSA -20-006 requirements.

Priority will be given to applicants that are also environmentally disadvantaged and first generation college students.

Do you meet the eligibility requirements? 

Wiconzani Project

The Wicozani (wee-CHO-zah-nee) is a Lakota word meaning, “sacred wellness, all encompassing of health and balance.” The College of Nursing at South Dakota State University has embraced the concept of Wicozani by creating this “Wicozani - Life Pathway in Nursing” program for enrolled members of Federally recognized tribes pursuing a degree in nursing. The Wicozani Nursing Scholarship Project is funded as part of the Indian Health Service American Indians into Nursing Program under Section 112 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, as amended. This project provides scholarships and stipends for enrolled members of Federally recognized tribes to pursue full-time study in a program toward a baccalaureate or graduate (nurse practitioner track) degree in nursing at ������Ƶ.

Qualified applicants must be admitted to the nursing major at ������Ƶ, commit to full time study, and provide documentation of tribal enrollment. Scholarship recipients are required to serve a period of obligated service (payback) in an Indian Health Service or approved tribal program direct care position of one year for each year of full-time scholarship support for a minimum of two years of obligated service.

Purpose of the Wicozani Project

The Wicozani Project purpose is to recruit, retain and graduate American Indian and Alaska Native nursing students at ������Ƶ. Increasing the number of American Indian and Alaska Native nurses will improve health care services and help eliminate health disparities in Indian Country.

What Benefits Does Wicozani Provide?

• Paid tuition, fees, books, tutoring, licensure exam preparation and other reasonable educational expenses.
• A monthly stipend during the academic year while enrolled in full-time study.
• Access to Indian Health Service summer employment.
• Academic advising, resource referral and support and advocacy for academic and non-academic concerns.
• Holistic mentoring by experienced, committed indigenous nurses (“unci”) provided in the tradition of Tiospaye (extended family) support.Opportunities for networking with individuals, agencies and organizations serving Indian people.
• Assistance with placement to fulfill the IHS service obligation.

For more information, contact Tiara Ruff.