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Two scholarship opportunities are open to area high school and college students
High school and college students from across several lakeshore counties pursuing careers in health care are encouraged to apply for two scholarship opportunities offered by Holland Hospital. The Holland Hospital Volunteer Council Health Care Scholarship and Holland Hospital RN Scholarship Program are offered annually to meet the continued demand for careers in health care.
2023 marks 15 years of awarding the Holland Hospital Volunteer Council Health Care Scholarship, which to date has awarded a total of $169,500. The scholarship, which is funded through proceeds at the organization's Gift Shop, Coffee Cove, and various fundraisers, is awarded to up to six recipients each year at an event in April.
“The students who apply for these applications are in full-time school and often volunteer and have jobs working at the hospital,” shared Debra Chesney, lead volunteer coordinator at Holland Hospital. “It’s a lot of work for them to take the time to go through the application process and I am proud of the individuals selected and everyone who applies.”
Holland Hospital is pleased to continue providing scholarship opportunities to students as they embark on their educational journeys and give back to the community. “As I work to complete the final phase of my graduate education, I have been blessed through this scholarship from the Holland Hospital Volunteer Council Scholarship Committee,” said former recipient Paul Bush. “I hope to return in the near future to serve the community I love.”
Students interested in applying for the Holland Hospital Volunteer Council Health Care Scholarship must be enrolled full-time or part-time in an accredited college health care program and actively taking classes within 18 months of graduation. Programs eligible for the scholarship may include social work, lab technology, nursing, dentistry, radiology, medical school, and physical or occupational therapy.
Additionally, for over two decades, the hospital awards several scholarships to Ottawa County high school seniors through the Holland Hospital RN Scholarship Program. Over this time, the scholarship has granted over $200,000 to students whose ambition is to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at an accredited institution.
Through this scholarship, each year, Holland Hospital awards $7,000 to recipients which is paid out in four increments over their four-year BSN degree in which funds can be used for tuition, class fees, and room and board. To apply for the RN Scholarship Program, the student must be a high school senior residing in Ottawa County who is planning to enter a four-year BSN program in the fall of 2023.
“I am grateful for the Holland Hospital RN Scholarship Program,” said former recipient Cortlyn Merryman. “It has granted me the opportunity to further my education in the nursing field.”
Applications are due on February 28 for the Holland Hospital Volunteer Council Health Care Scholarship and on April 15 for the Holland Hospital RN Scholarship Program. Specific details regarding residency, eligibility and application requirements for each scholarship are available on each scholarship webpage.