Plank2bank Scholarship by Dr. J: Empowering Nurses Through Physical and Academic Excellence

A Collaborator Inspired Scholarship

Fund Purpose: The Plank 2 Bank Scholarship focuses on uplifting nurses by recognizing their physical and academic potential. The purpose is to support their journey through financial assistance, promoting overall health and excellence in the nursing profession. Inspired by Dr. J’s own experience as a higher education learner, knows exactly how it feels to stress over finances instead of focusing on exams. As a DPT, he also knows how it feels to treat nurses who have chronic back injuries by just doing their job. That’s why this scholarship exists: to give learners a financial boost while also sparking a mindset shift toward long-term physical endurance and wellness. It’s not just about paying for school - it’s about setting nurses up for success in their careers, and in their bodies, for years to come.

Fund Scope: Physical fitness is crucial for nurses to meet the demanding nature of their work. Nurses often perform tasks that involve heavy lifting, prolonged standing, and patient transfers. Maintaining physical health enhances strength and endurance. Greater strength and endurance help nurses to avoid work-related injuries. 

Prioritizing fitness contributes to overall job performance and patient care. Core strength prevents injuries, especially lower back issues, and physical endurance enhances stamina during long shifts. The demands of the nursing profession necessitate robust physical fitness to prevent fatigue and injury on the job. Regular physical fitness significantly contributes to injury prevention by strengthening muscles and improving body mechanics. Enhanced stamina reduces stress and fatigue, allowing nurses to perform optimally during long shifts. 

Fund Eligibility: Active, matriculated learners in any undergraduate program are eligible to apply and be awarded this scholarship. Foundational learners during Fall 2025 semester are not eligible. MSN program learners are not eligible. 

Fund Process: Please note that this scholarship fund has a unique process, described below.

1. Applicants complete the application form offered via Submittable by October 31, 2025. 
2. The top 5 scoring applicants will be invited to a live planking challenge, to take place on a Teams Meeting during the first week of December (date/time TBD). The longest held live plank will be awarded the scholarship funds for the Fall 2025 cycle. 

Award Details: One scholarship in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded to the top applicant from Round 2, the Planking Challenge. 

Fund Restrictions

• Awarded funding may be used toward tuition and fees. 

Nichols Scholarship Fund - Fall 2025 Cycle - Round 1

Fund Purpose: The Nichols Scholarship Fund is offered annually to support individuals who are actively working in the nursing profession as a PN, CNA, or other associates level nursing degree, and who desire to continue their nursing education to become an RN. This fund is created in gratitude and recognition for the incredible care and compassion that nurses, nurses’ aids, and LVNs provide to individuals and families during challenging times. Their dedication, warmth, and tireless efforts often bring comfort and healing when it is needed most. 

This scholarship is designed to offer a meaningful step up to these individuals: nursing students who are working hard to build a better future, who work diligently to care for their community, and who may need a little extra financial help to get there. Whether the funds go toward tuition, childcare, books, or simply easing the cost of daily life while in school, this scholarship exists to honor the essential work of nurses and caregivers for them to be able to achieve their dreams of becoming an RN.

Fund Eligibility: The Nichols Scholarship Fund is open to any current learner at Nightingale College, who has a demonstrated need for gap funding, lives in the state of California, and is currently enrolled in the LPN-ASN or BSN programs and is currently a working professional in the healthcare field. Scholarship funds can be used for tuition and fees, books, child-care, transportation, housing, and any other social determinants of education needs. 

The Nichols Scholarship Fund has a two-part application process. The first part is open to all who are eligible to apply by filling out the scholarship application. The top 3 finalists from the application round will be invited to provide a video interview, as the second part of the process. To be considered for the Nichols Scholarship Fund, all applicants must participate in this process. 

Selected scholarship awardees will be required to provide impact stories, scholarship awardee data, and communicate with Nightingale Foundation throughout and after the scholarship awarding process. 

Award Details: One learner will be awarded annually in the amount of $3,000. 

Fund Process: 

• Round 1 Applications are open from 9/5/2025 - 10/20/2025
• Top 3 Scoring applicants will be invited to provide a video interview, which will open on 11/7/2025 - 11/16/2025.

Fund Restrictions: 

• Learner must reside in California, be enrolled in either the LPN-ASN or BSN programs, and currently be a working professional in the healthcare field.
• Learners must have a demonstrated need for gap funding. 
• Scholarship funds may only be applied to the following semester and will not be distributed to the learner after withdrawal. If upon withdrawal, the available financial aid creates a negative ledger balance, the excess funds will be returned to the Foundation.  

The Carolyn Johnson Scholarship Fund is offered to Nightingale College learners to honor, Carolyn Johnson who by any measure, led a rewarding and fulfilling life as a nurse and mother. Born to a large (ten children) rural family in Iowa in 1919, she aspired to being a healthcare provider. Leaving the farm, she attended a hospital school of nursing in Michigan. Entering the profession upon graduation, she practiced for several years. With marriage she became a full-time mother, raising five children to adulthood, doubtless calling upon her nursing skills from time-to-time. When her last fledgling left the family nest, she upgraded and advanced her nursing skills, and returned to the hospital floor for several years, eventually retiring. Carolyn died in 2002. 

Carolyn Johnson was always proud of being a nurse and took much gratification in being a care-giver. She always supported and encouraged personal and professional advancement through education. If still with us, Carolyn would appreciate the value and values of Nightingale College and particularly the opportunities it affords individuals who might not otherwise be served. She would be proud of having her name on this scholarship fund and helping Johnson Scholars achieve their dreams.

This fund will award and honor Nightingale College learners who hold similar values to Carolyn, aspiring to hold attributes of care-giving, compassion, determination, and preserving to achieve their dreams of becoming a nurse. Awardees of this fund will be named as Johnson Scholars, in memory of the late Carolyn Johnson. 

Process: The Carolyn Johnson Scholarship Fund has a two-part application process. The first part is open to all who are eligible to apply by filling out the scholarship application. The top 5 finalists from the application round will be invited to provide a video interview, as the second part of the process (11/7/2025 - 11/16/2025). To be considered for the Carolyn Johnson Scholarship Fund, all applicants must participate in this process. 

Fund Eligibility: The Carolyn Johnson Scholarship Fund is open to any current, matriculated, undergraduate learner at Nightingale College, who has a demonstrated need for gap funding and is currently enrolled in any prelicensure nursing program at Nightingale College. Scholarship funds can be used for tuition and fees, books, child-care, transportation, housing, and any other social determinants of education needs. 

Selected scholarship awardees will be required to provide impact stories, scholarship awardee data, and communicate with Nightingale Foundation throughout and after the scholarship awarding process. 

Award Details: The Carolyn Johnson Scholarship Fund will award 2 Learners a scholarship of $10,000 each.

Fund Restrictions: 

• Learners must have a demonstrated need for gap funding. 
• Scholarship funds may only be applied to the following semester and will not be distributed to the learner after withdrawal. If upon withdrawal, the available financial aid creates a negative ledger balance, the excess funds will be returned to the Foundation.  
• Scholarship funds can be used for tuition and fees, books, child-care, transportation, housing, and any other social determinants of education needs.

The Learner Disaster Relief Fund is offered to current Nightingale College Learners who are experiencing or have been affected by a current disaster and need financial assistance to be able to continue their respective nursing program at Nightingale College. When disaster strikes, Nightingale College learners may not have access to their everyday support systems, resources, and basic needs. Yet, even in the face of adversity, many learners want to continue their education and give back to their communities as future nurses.

Fund Donor(s): Various Nightingale Education Group Collaborators

Fund Eligibility: To be considered for the Learner Disaster Relief Fund from the Nightingale Foundation, applicants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria. 

• Be currently enrolled as a learner at Nightingale College
• Be currently experiencing a disaster*. 
• Have a financial need for support due to the effects of aforementioned disaster. Examples of financial needs include tuition (due to in ability to pay for basic resources), basic resources (shelter/housing, utilities, food, supplies, sanitation, transportation, first aid, hospital fees (due to accidents or issues incurred during disaster), emergency blankets and clothing, and other essentials. 

*Disaster is defined as one or any of the following: A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale. An unforeseen event that overwhelms local capacity, necessitating external assistance. It results in significant damage, destruction, and human suffering. An event where a community faces severe danger and incurs significant losses to persons or property, taxing available resources. An event that results in great harm, damage, or death. 

Examples of disasters may include (but are not limited to): 

• Hurricanes
• Tornados
• Earthquakes
• Floods
• Fires (house or wild)
• Other Natural Disasters

Fund Budget: Varies

• This fund will remain open and available for applications at any time. Funding to be disbursed as funds are available and at the discretion of Nightingale Foundation. 

Fund Restrictions

• Funds are only available to learners attending Nightingale College that are experiencing a disaster. 
• Nightingale Foundation has the right to refuse an application if eligibility conditions are not met. 

All scholarship awardees will be required to sign an Award Agreement and provide Nightingale Foundation with impact stories post award. 

The Shneyder & Kirk Reaching the Impossible Scholarship Fund is designed to support learners currently in their foundational courses (Math and English 90) and are at risk of not matriculating into a nursing program due to lack of financial resources. Becoming a successful nurse requires tenacity, drive, passion, and resiliency. This fund aims to support learners who embody these qualities and need support to continue their educational journey at Nightingale College post foundational courses. 

Fund Awards: 3 learners for Fall 2025 in the amount of $2,000 each.

Fund Eligibility: To be considered for Shneyder & Kirk Reaching the Impossible Scholarship from the Nightingale Foundation, applicants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria. 

• Be currently enrolled in English 90 and/or Math 90 during Fall Semester 2025. Learners must successfully complete their foundational courses in order to be awarded the scholarship but must apply while in the semester they are enrolled in English 90 and/or Math 90.  
• Demonstrate financial need; and
• Exemplify tenacity, grit, and resiliency. 

Fund Restrictions

• Scholarship funds will only be awarded to learners who have successfully completed the foundational courses in their first academic year. 
• Scholarship funds are not paid out until foundation courses are complete. 
• Eligible learners must apply for the scholarship while still enrolled in their foundational courses. Awarded funds will be applied to the following two semesters and disbursed after the expiration of the add/drop period in each of the semesters in $1,000 installments. 
• Learners are not eligible to apply once past their foundation courses, no reapplying is permitted.
• Funding will be disbursed to learners in two installments, one per semester. If a learner withdraws from the program, funds will be reallocated accordingly. Scholarship funds may only be applied to tuition and fees and will not be distributed to the learner after withdrawal. If upon withdrawal, the available financial aid creates a negative ledger balance, the excess funds will be returned to the Foundation. 

Application Timeline: 

• Applications accepted from 9/5/2025 - 11/9/2025 at 11:59PM MST. No late applications will be accepted. 
• Applications are reviewed and scored by the committee during Week 12 - Week 14 each semester. 
• Scholarship award announcement will happen no later than Friday of Week 15 each semester (subject to change).  

All scholarship awardees will be required to sign an Award Agreement and provide Nightingale Foundation with impact stories post award. 

The Bittner Scholarship Fund is offered annually to support individuals desiring to enter the nursing profession who demonstrate the fundamental values an individual must hold to provide caring and professional care to others. These values include a strong work ethic, passionate about healing, and promoting improved health outcomes within populations. 

Fund Eligibility: The Bittner Scholarship Fund is open to any prospective or current learner at Nightingale College, who has demonstrated need for gap funding. Scholarship funds can only be used to support tuition and books. Preference will be given to learners who: 

• Awarded funds would mitigate risk for a potential nurse not entering the program due to lack of funds. 
• Demonstrate dedication to the nursing program who are in jeopardy due to economic situations. 
• To prevent a potential drop from the program due to economic hardship. 

Application Timeline: The Bittner Scholarship Fund has a two-part application process. The first part is open to all who are eligible to apply by filling out the scholarship application open from 9/5/2025 - 10/12/2025. The top 3 finalists from the application round will be invited to provide a video interview (11/17/2025 - 11/23/2025), as the second part of the process. To be considered for the Bittner Scholarship Fund, all applicants must participate in this process. 

Selected scholarship awardees will be required to write a letter and present to the Foundation Board of Directors on how this funding helped to achieve nursing school goals, how this funding prevented a potential need to drop out of the program and/or how the funding gave more time to focus on academic progression. 

Fund Awards: One scholarship per academic year will be awarded, in the amount of $6,000. The scholarship recipient will be announced by December 19, 2025.