Annual nursing scholarships are hereby established for part-time and full-time students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. For the purposes of §§ 23-35.9 through 23-35.13, undergraduate nursing programs are defined as programs leading to an associate degree, diploma, or baccalaureate degree in nursing; graduate nursing programs are herein defined as those programs offering masters and doctoral degrees in nursing or related to nursing activities. Undergraduate nursing scholarships shall not exceed $ 2,000 annually. Graduate nursing scholarships shall not exceed $ 4,000 annually. These awards shall be made by the Advisory Committee to the State Board of Health and the recipients shall be required to attend a school of professional nursing in this Commonwealth if such schools are available and the student can receive admission thereto. This section shall not be construed to prohibit such scholarship from being available to any first-year college student at the beginning of the first college year who presents to the Advisory Committee a notice of intention to pursue an undergraduate nursing program as defined for the purposes of this section.The Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the State Board of Health. The Committee shall consist of eight members: four of whom shall be deans or directors of schools of nursing or their designees; two of whom shall be past recipients of nursing scholarships awarded pursuant to this title; and, two of whom shall have experience in the administration of student financial aid programs. Appointments shall be for two-year terms. No member of the Committee shall be eligible to serve more than two successive terms in addition to the portion of any unexpired term for which such member was appointed. Following initial appointments, the State Board of Health shall schedule appointments to the Advisory Committee in such a manner that at least two persons who have not served during the previous two years are appointed to the Committee.

History

1950, p. 1291; 1956, c. 644; 1962, c. 81; 1966, c. 162; 1968, c. 441; 1970, c. 653; 1973, c. 401; 1974, c. 654; 1989, c. 330; 2002, c. 290.